Turns of Fate
by Rosabell
Summary: AU before ROTS;a wise young Luke is transported into the past before the events which would lead his father to the Dark Side.He harbors secrets,both about himself and the nature of the Force. Will Luke help his parents? Is that a good idea?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfic of the products of LucasArts. It is therefore non-profit and nothing belongs to me except the plot and how I've portrayed it. This applies to all chapters.**

Turns of Fate

Chapter 1

Coruscant, Luke decided, probably was born as a crowded city. It seemed no matter what period one lives in, Coruscant would always be a bustling metropolis that never slept. Even when one face of the planet was in darkness, one would hardly call it dark; the lights from the buildings were bright enough that it might as well be day, still.

He wondered if, before this planet was populated, Coruscant was ever a desert, like Tatooine. Or maybe it was green and lush, like Naboo. Or maybe it was a mix of the two?

_Naw. _He wrinkled his nose. _Multiple climates on one planet? Please. Like that could ever happen._

The fifteen-year-old sighed. Just what was he doing here? Just twenty minutes ago, he had been on the farm with his uncle, fixing vaporizers for what must have been the thousandth time. And then all of the sudden, he was here.

He knew he was brought back in time. The Force around him told him so. He had always been able to sense the Force like he was reading a book, probably even easier than that, even, so he instantly knew he was at the wrong timepoint, despite having never experienced this before. The question, however, was _why _he was brought to this point in time. To that, the Force provided no answer.

How far back in time was he? Sometime before he was born, that was certain. He wondered if he could still talk to Leia, across time. She probably sensed his disappearance, all the way from Alderaan. _Well, _he thought, already preparing a retort for the series of indignant scoldings she would no doubt have when he returned, _it was not _my _fault._ He certainly never decided to ask the Force for a hand in time travel. In fact, he did not even know it was possible. He doubted Leia knew either.

_It sucks not having a Jedi teacher._ Luke decided, as he started to make his way down the streets of the metropolis. Ben Kenobi had taught him some things from when he was four years old, but then the Empire sniffed the use of the Force and came knocking on Tatooine. The old Jedi escaped the planet to lead the Empire away from Luke, but not before Luke learned how to communicate with his sister, using the Force. Afterwards, Luke would keep in constant contact with her. Their sibling bond enabled the strong connection without the Emperor ever sensing the disturbance in the universe, and the twins quickly learned many things on their own, through mutual meditation, with some occasional guidance from Ben when he could risk a little exposure. For the most part, Luke and Leia did not really need a teacher; so much of the Force came too easily to them. However, on occasion, it would be nice to be able to _ask _someone a question and get an immediate answer, rather than have to muse on it for hours on one's own. Right now, he would dearly like to ask someone, _why am I here?_

_Oh banthaspit that's Ben._ Luke pulled back when he saw the younger version of the old Jedi walk down the block. He was with a tall, blonde man. Both were wearing Jedi outfits. _Dad._ Luke thought. _Before he turned to Vader._

Well _that _narrows the timepoint down a lot. He was back sometime between fifteen to twenty-five years ago, he suspected. His father was tall, which meant it was more like fifteen to twenty years ago. If he followed those two, assuming they were not on missions, they could probably lead him to the Jedi Temple, where he would hopefully meet with Master Yoda and figure out a way to get back home.

_Luke? Luke, where are you?_

And that answers the question of whether he could speak to Leia across time. _Hi Leia. I'm, uh, on Coruscant._

Silence. _No you aren't…_

_I'm about a decade or two in the past._ Luke replied. _I'm currently following Ben and Dad around now. Not sure where they're going._

_Are you serious?_ His sister seemed shocked. _How? What happened? What did you do?_

_What do you mean what did _I _do? _Luke frowned in slight indignation. He then remembered his earlier prepared retort. _It was not _my _fault. One minute I was with my uncle, the next I'm here. In the past._

_Well you must have done something!_

Luke rolled his eyes. Even though his sister could not see it, she could still feel his irritation.

_Alright, fine. How are you going to get back?_

_Don't know. I'm in the era of the Old Republic, which means there are other Jedi around. Including Dad. Hey, got any questions to ask him while I'm here?_

_Other than ' Why did you turn to the Dark Side?'_

_Well, yeah, since…we already know the answer. It was to save Mom._

_Sure. ' How do you turn back?'_

Luke stifled a chuckle. _I'll see if I can't get an autograph from him or something._

_An autograph. From our father._

_Yeah, well, we already know life sucks. Hold on, they're speeding up through the crowds._ Luke slipped through the masses of moving bodies. _Leia, is Coruscant _still _this crowded? There are people _everywhere!

_Depends on where you are and what time it is._ Leia replied. She seemed more worried about him now. _What are you going to do? Don't tell them who you are!_

_I'm not stupid, Leia!_

_I'm not saying you are. Just reminders, also to myself, you know._ Leia thought back. _And be careful not to change too much of the timeline while you're there._

_I don't know. I'm kinda tempted to fix our Dad._

_You're putting the rest of us at risk if you do that, _Leia warned.

_Yeah yeah, I know._ Luke thought. _I'll make it back, I promise. This isn't the Empire, so times are more peaceful here._

_You never know. Keep your connection open to me. I need to know how you are._

_Sure, though I don't know if you can do anything if something happens._

_Peace of mind then._ Leia's thoughts went quiet.

The two Jedi were indeed heading toward what looked like the Temple, which prompted Luke to call to his sister again. He projected the image of the building.

_Is that the temple?_

_I don't know._ Leia replied. _I can't look it up without someone being suspicious, namely, the Emperor, or Vader._

_Here goes nothing, then._ Luke thought to himself. He glanced down to see what he was wearing. Tatooine farmboy outfit. Great. What a sure way to stand out in a crowd. Though, from the looks of the place, no one was paying him any attention.

After a particularly outlandish alien passed by him, Luke decided that his outfit was probably more inconspicuous than most.

" Master Kenobi, Knight Skywalker," The Jedi at the entrance of the temple greeted, " Welcome back."

Luke considered his options as his father and Ben disappeared inside. He wanted to see Yoda, but he doubted simply marching up to the entrance and demanding audience would do him any good.

_I'm a fifteen-year-old kid with a lot of Force potential. _Luke thought. _All I have to do is attract their attention._

The Temple had steps leading up to the main entrance. In front of the gates were tall pillars that supported an overlying roof. Demanding audience would probably not be all effective, but there were other, more entertaining ways of attracting attention.

Like a blatant use of the Force. Luke grinned. In a world where the Empire did not exist yet, he might as well have some fun. With that thought, he scampered up the steps and jumped from the pillars up to the roof.

A burst of astonishment resonated from below him. He sat over the roof, dangling his legs. Across the street, some people turned and noticed him and began pointing, while he sensed the Jedi within the temple begin to assemble. With all the citizens gaping and staring, Luke waved at them with a grin and started humming old tunes from Tatooine. He was hungry. Would they have food in the temple? He hoped so. He had been working on the farm for a while, and had been about to break for lunch when he arrived here. _Oh awesome! I can taste high-end Coruscant food. This adventure would be great!_ Who cares why he was here? He might as well amuse himself.

" It is not safe up there, young one." A Jedi's voice interrupted his musings. Luke looked down to see a dark-skinned, bald man. Master Mace Windu, of the Jedi Council, the guy that nearly killed Palpatine, if only his father had been a little smarter about choosing his friends. " Will you not come down?"

Mace Windu or Yoda, for Luke's purposes one was as good as the other. Though, before he returns home, he did want to have a Coruscant lunch. " Hi." He started to ask for food, and then decided that perhaps some introductions might be in order. " I'm Luke."

The Jedi Master considered him. Now that Luke had jumped down, he found that other Jedi had assembled near the entrance. No doubt, they were all wondering about his outfit. _And my age._ Fifteen-year-old kids jumping on Jedi Temples probably were not common at this time. _Well, it probably did not matter what my age is. Still is not common._

" Hello, Luke." Windu smiled a little. He clearly sensed no evil intent in Luke, though he was definitely puzzled. " I am Mace Windu. Are you lost?"

" In a way." Luke said thoughtfully. " But it's more complicated than an escort home. The Force brought me here."

Windu frowned a little, even more perplexed. " I see." Said he. " And would you happen to know why the Force brought you here?"

" Nope." Luke turned around. " But whatever reason, it would be revealed in time. I guess." _Would now be the right time to ask for lunch? _" I smell food. Is that food?" _Forget Yoda! An authentic, Republican Coruscant lunch! Leia would be so jealous! Maybe I should bring her back a souvenir?_

He had darted past the gathering of Jedi into the temple. In truth, he did not smell any food, so once inside he had no idea where to go. It was the first time he was inside the Jedi temple, however, and this warranted some gaping time. He did so, looking around at the polished marble space. " Wow." He breathed. " This place is so awesome!" _The food here is probably even better than I thought!_

" Ah, yes," Said a less welcome voice, " I do believe I must thank young Skywalker here. The galaxy truly would be a different place, without this fine young man."

Luke looked in the direction of the words, already scowling. Sure enough, Chancellor _Palpatini_ emerged. He was a bit surprised by the man's appearance though. The chancellor looked like a friendly grandpa. Compared to his Emperor self, this guy almost looked handsome.

_Flowerface!_ Luke thought, adding to the growing list of nicknames he and Leia had been compiling for the bastard ever since they knew what he had done to their father. The nickname was too absurd+, and Luke burst out laughing at the thought.

Palpatine paused. He was walking with Ben and Luke's father, along with some other Jedi, including...Yoda. Luke shut his mouth with a click. _Shoot._ Luke could be ten times more powerful than the little green goblin, but the very _Force_ itself is probably scared senseless of the guy. Which meant it was probably not a bad idea for Luke to also be somewhat scared of him.

" A surprise, this is, Master Windu." Yoda said to the Jedi after considering Luke, his ears perking up a little to listen to the expected explanation.

" He hopped on the roof, Master Yoda." Windu replied. " No doubt a Force sensitive, but I have never seen him before."

" A force presence, he does not have." Yoda remarked, studying the teenager.

" Do too!" Luke blurted out, before realizing he had been masking his presence. With Palpatine so near, however, he did not want to drop his shields. There were other ways he could prove his sensitivity, though. Luke and Leia were both good at using the Force while keeping themselves shielded. And, unable to hold back that personal grudge against the man who not only ruined his father, but killed his mother and separated his family, Luke undid Palpatine's belt and slid his pants to the floor.

With the long robes, however, there was not much to show for Luke's efforts, except a loud cry of shock and outrage.

" Do you guys have a cafeteria around here?" Luke asked Yoda, as Palpatine struggled to lift his pants up without lifting his robes. " I'm starving!"

Yoda looked bemused. The rest of the Jedi looked startled, and torn between addressing Luke and helping the Chancellor somehow. Later, Luke would contemplate the absurdity of having pulled the Chancellor's pants down, but that he would save for later. Right now: Food!

" What is your name, young one?" Yoda asked gravely. Next to him, Luke sensed Sidious seething in anger. _And well you should! _Thought the boy. The Sith would not retaliate for fear of revealing his own identity, and Luke took this opportunity to enjoy the moment.

" Luke." Said the boy. He sprinted past the Jedi to admire the rest of the hall. There were tall statues and engravings lining the walls. An atmosphere of peace settled over the place, so that even Luke's energetic mood was somewhat subdued.

" This place is really cool." He remarked. It was lame, but he felt he had to say it for some reason. He sensed someone walk up behind him. It was his father.

" Luke?" His father murmured, " Are you from Tatooine?"

_Count on Dad to recognize the clothes, _Luke thought, turning around to face the man. The two of them stared at each other, with Luke searching his father's face. His father looked...young. There was a kind of dark wisdom in his eyes, but he looked young. Troubled, but young. This was his real father.

Luke was suddenly struck with a desperate longing to tell this man everything that was going to happen. _Curse that Paupertine!_

_Luke! _His sister warned. She sounded apologetic. _Don't do anything stupid!_

_I won't._ Luke replied sulkily. For a good measure, he projected the image of their father to her. He sensed her responding sorrow.

_You two look alike. He looks like he's taller, though._

_Yeah, well, 'tis life._ Luke thought morosely. On the surface, he brightened. Here was a chance to hang out with his Dad, for however long that will be. " Say, can you lead me to the kitchens?"


	2. Chapter 2

Turns of Fate

Chapter 2

The Chancellor managed to get his pants back on before Anakin decided to lead Luke to the kitchens he kept asking about. As far as the Jedi was concerned, the boy was a bit of a nut. He was also endearing, in a strange way. Perhaps it was his adventurous streak, and the fact that the kid did not seem to realize the gravity of his situation. He had just insulted the Chancellor, used the force to humiliate the man, in front of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy. The child should be more apprehensive of the repercussions.

But Luke, whoever he was, seemed completely at ease with himself. The other Jedi followed the pair down to the kitchens, where over a meal they began grilling the boy. _Where did you come from? How did you get here? Who was your master? What are you doing here?_

In order, Luke had answered, " From Tatooine", " Beats me," " Ben," and " How about you use your Force powers to tell _me _that?"

" This is good!" The boy declared , digging into his meal like the ravenous teenager he no doubt was. He was an amiable-looking youth, with a pleasant countenance, a short, slight stature and an aura mixed of childish energy and mysterious wisdom. His hair was blonde, like Anakin's, and he also had blue eyes. His skin was tan, no doubt from the desert suns, and he exerted a feeling of innocence and purity that many younger children on Coruscant already lost.

Anakin, reminded of himself when he was younger, asked, " How old are you?" He was sitting across from the teenager while the other Masters surrounded them, some sitting, some standing while whispering to each other.

" Fifteen." The boy said, with his mouth full of steak.

" Don't talk with your mouth full." Anakin reproached, feeling a perplexing instinct to protect the boy, not unlike the feeling he would often have when sensing his unborn child. The thought reminded him of his constant nightmares, and he sobered. Fifteen was very young. " Who was Ben?"

Luke inclined his head. He seemed to be tilting his head toward Obi-Wan, which just served to confuse everyone even more. Anakin knew some of them were wondering if Luke had been trained as a Sith, but there was no darkness in the boy. Only an untamed, playful spirit.

" Where are your parents, Luke?" Obi-Wan asked gently. " No doubt they are worried about you."

" They're dead." Luke said, a slight tremor in his voice, but he continued on flippantly, " So can't possibly be worried about me." There was a slight ring of falsehood about the statement, but not something that was definite. It seemed, rather, that the boy himself was a bit uncertain of the answer.

The Jedi glanced at each other. They had no idea what to make of this.

Palpatine was not in the kitchens, for the politician was still with the other senators in the halls above. Anakin frowned at the boy.

" Why did you do that to the Chancellor?" He asked Luke.

" He deserved it." Luke wiped his mouth with a napkin.

" For what?"

" You'll see."

Obi-Wan bent over to Anakin. " The Jedi Masters will discuss what to do with the boy." His master said to him. " In the meantime, keep an eye on him and make sure he does not commit more mischief."

To be frank, Anakin was not certain how he would stop the boy. Earlier, no one had sense the boy use the Force on the Chancellor. The teenager must have a lot of power to be able to pull off his trick without anyone sensing it. At the moment, however, Luke looked like any regular boy, who had a healthy appetite.

" I will, Master." Said Anakin. The Jedi Masters left.

The kitchens were mostly empty, except for a few Jedi padawans who looked at Luke curiously. Luke went on eating, but somehow Anakin could feel the beginnings of unease.

_This boy is from Tatooine._ Anakin thought to himself. He remembered the Tusken raiders, his mother, life back when he was a slave, and swallowed hard to control his anger. In front of him, across the table, Luke glanced up.

" You don't like Tatooine." The boy observed.

Anakin frowned. " No." He said. " But how did you know that?"

" Doesn't matter how I know. Just that I do." Luke said mysteriously. " Anakin Skywalker, Chosen One. The Force gave you a destiny too big for you."

Feeling an inexplicable anxiety gripping him, Anakin abruptly stood. " What do you know about me?" He demanded. " And how?"

Luke blinked. " Um...it's kind of all over the holonet?" He took another bite. " Not the fact that your destiny's too big though. But balance to the force, that's pretty huge for one person." He flicked his fork at the Jedi. " Don't crack under pressure, my friend."

Anakin watched speechlessly as the teen went back to his meal. The boy gulped down his juice and wiped his mouth for the last time. " Wow. That was a great experience." Luke then got up, abandoning his tray. " So they are discussing what to do with me, huh."

" Yes." Anakin followed his gaze, as Luke looked around. He noticed that Luke did not seem worried at all.

" You seem quite comfortable in your situation." Anakin observed. " Far from home, as you are. You are not the least bit alarmed."

" Oh, you missed the part where I was alarmed." Luke replied. " But it was pretty clear, the Force had something to do with my being here. So I decided, might as well go along with the flow."

Anakin lifted a hand to the back of his head, wondering what he was supposed to do with this child. The Jedi Masters took the task of deciding the boy's fate, but it was up to Anakin right now to keep him out of trouble.

Fortunately, it seemed like Luke had no interest in causing more incidents.

" So what's it like, living as a Jedi?" Luke asked Anakin.

Anakin blinked. " What do you want to know, exactly?"

Luke looked stumped by this. " I don't know. Guess I want to know more about you." He shrugged. " I've always wanted to get to know you, you know. Not just know _about _you, but really know who you were." He shrugged again. " Say, are you having nightmares yet?"

Anakin blinked, feeling a cold horror take hold of his heart. " What are you talking about?"

Luke made a strange face, like he just noticed something that was both surprising and awkward. " Oh."

" What?" Before he knew it, Luke's arm was in his grip. " What do you know about this?!"

Luke blinked owlishly up at him. The boy was small and young. It had not been that long ago when Anakin was his age, but somehow the boy looked so frail. His form was slight, and did not resist Anakin's hold on him.

" I thought passion was not the way of the Jedi," The boy said to him.

At these words, Anakin slowly let him go. Luke stepped back, looking solemn for the first time Anakin had seen him. The Jedi took a deep breath to calm himself down. " What do you know about the dreams," He asked again, this time with his eyes closed.

" Nothing much. Just that you tend to have them on occasion." Luke beamed. " Hey, can I see your room? You guys do have rooms here, right?" He started walking out of the cafeteria, prompting Anakin to hurry to catch up.

_Who is this boy? What does he want? How does he seem to know things he should not know?_ All at once, Anakin's mind turned to his beloved wife, and the child within her. If this child knew about them...

" What do you know?" He pulled Luke to a halt. " What do you know about me?"

Luke met his gaze with his clear blue eyes. The sight of the sapphire orbs startled the Jedi.

" No more than you know about yourself, I bet." Luke grinned at him boyishly. He tilted his head. " The Force works in mysterious ways."

Anakin blinked. He could not shake the feeling that something was distinctly off about the boy. However, Luke had already turned around. He was, strangely enough, heading in the direction of the residence halls. They headed out into the Temple gardens where some of the Jedi padawans were tending to the growth. Above, the blue sky was filled with ships and shuttles. Luke glanced up as he walked, looking in open-mouthed wonder.

" This Ben," Anakin asked after a while, " Is he a Sith?"

" Oh no." Luke shook his head abruptly, but his eyes never left the busy sky. " Though Force, that would be bad news for you if he were, eh? I don't need to be a Sith. If I did decide to become one, I'd probably implode in an instant. The only reason why Darth Sidious lasted so long? It's because he's actually a pipsqueak guy."

" A...pipsqueak guy," Anakin repeated, stumped.

Luke burst out laughing. " You actually said it!" He did a few little hops of delight, stifling what could only be described as giggles. " Yes. The high and mighty Sith Lord that you Jedi are no doubt currently pursuing–just to be sure, you guys _are _looking for a Sith Lord, right?" He ignored Anakin's dubious nod to proclaim, " Well, even if you aren't, you will be quite soon, so there's no harm in telling you that you're about to look for a Sith Lord. All that explosive power he has with that Force lightning and what not? Purely because he's a wimp to start with. Otherwise, if you really allow your emotions to go haywire, they will blow you up. I kid you not." He then tilted his head. " Though it always puzzled us why Vader was...well, I guess he did blow up, in a fashion. So we're alright."

Despite his light tones, there was an obvious darkening of mood in the boy. Anakin had no idea what Luke was saying, but he felt a strange urge to connect with the youth. It was as if the Force was telling him that here was an answer to his problems. Perhaps that was what the boy meant, when he mentioned nightmares?

Padme's screams echoed in Anakin's mind, and the man felt his heart seize in desperation. He could not lose Padme. He would not know what to do. He could not bear it, if he lost his wife too. He had lost too many people in his life. His mother, the one thing he lived for, back on Tatooine. Qui-Gon, the one father figure he had trusted and came to emotionally depend on. Padme was the last of these people.

Luke was suddenly in his face. Despite the difference in height, suddenly Luke appeared almost as tall as Anakin himself. " You're off in la-la land, I see," The boy remarked. Then, with an impish grin, he added, " Are you in love?"

Among the young padawans, there use to be a joke that whenever a person is distracted, he or she must be daydreaming about someone they had a crush on. Since the Jedi were not allowed to love, this idea was absurd, but the joke was a dangerous one, easily leading to temptation by its constant reminder of what the Jedi could not have, so very early on, the Jedi Masters would banish this from use. It was a constant problem, however, so Anakin was no stranger to the jest. He was, however, not use to hearing it directed at him. It had been some years since he was last teased this way, and ever since he married Padme, the joke was more of an alarming reminder to hide his secret, rather than anything to laugh about. He gave Luke what must have been a startled glance, for the youth's smile faded after a few seconds.

" Practice your sabacc-face, my friend." The boy punched Anakin in the arm. " One might think a nerve's been touched." He walked away, and Anakin found himself struggling to command his legs to move, instead of standing where they were, frozen in fear. _Who is this boy? What does he know? What does he want?_

Luke, he sensed, was for some reason very uncomfortable, but the only reason Anakin knew was because of the boy's Force presence, and the feelings were very faint, as if the teen had been shielding himself. On the outside, no one could guess the discomfort the boy was feeling.

" _Cheeks as red as the suns in the twilight!_

_Waist as thin as the needle's end!_

_Eyes that sparkle like the bright starlit night!_

_That is the girl I'm interested in!"_

Luke whirled around, face beaming. " Oh come on! You know this song! Or were you too young to learn it when you left?"

_He knows I'm from Tatooine._ Anakin was starting to calm now. Luke seemed to know so many things, this hardly seemed to be surprising. And there was a small measure of comfort, something from that home that was not hostile and harsh. In his youth, he had sometimes sang songs with the other slaves as they worked, to bring a little joy into their otherwise miserable lives. Their masters would let them sing, not because they enjoyed the songs, but because they knew that the slaves needed some way to vent their rebellious instincts, and this was by far one of the least harmful ways.

_When I grow up, I want to marry Mother. For she is the most beautiful woman in the world!_

The happier days of his childhood in his mind, Anakin caught up to Luke, who was waiting for him, and the boy urged,

" Come on, I know all the lyrics. If you forget, Jedi Skywalker, just follow along with me;

_Here, ye! Fair young damsel!_

_Pray tell, what's thy name?_

_That I may still sing to the stars at night before I sleep, hey!_

_Here, ye! Fair young damsel!_

_Pray tell, where you go?_

_That I may look there when the wind blows when I think of you, hey!"_

" Children singing." Said a familiar voice. " Jewels of the earth."

Palpatine, his dignity restored, appeared at the side of the walkway. He had emerged from behind some tall plants, and at first Anakin had not noticed him. Luke broke off his song–Anakin had not joined him despite the boy's earlier invitation–and had the gall to approach the chancellor.

" If you like children so much, why don't you have one or two?" Luke asked cheekily.

The Chancellor was speechless. Behind him, some Jedi Knights were accompanying him in escort. They glanced at each other, baffled by the boy's audacity.

" Come to think of it, you're a bachelor, aren't you?" Luke grinned. " Hey, I didn't know that the Senate would elect an unmarried man to be the Chancellor. Politics must be pretty liberal in the inner rim planets! How did you even become Senator, if you were never married? Didn't people think that was a bit odd, an old guy like you with no wife or kids? Are you homosexual?" the boy made a face, " But then you'd have a husband!"

" Luke!" Anakin pulled the boy forcefully back with his hand. He bowed to the Chancellor. " I am sorry, Chancellor. The boy is..." He trailed off. Really, he had no idea why he wanted to defend the teen. Luke was a complete stranger to him before today–he was a stranger still. Perhaps it was because they both hail from Tatooine, but that did not mean he had to explain on the boy's behalf.

As Anakin tried to gather his thoughts, Palpatine seemed to exert an effort to maintain his calm. Anakin could not blame him. Luke was being rather rude. The Chancellor, no doubt choosing to be magnanimous rather than strict with the teen, replied, " Ah, I fear a man of my position has no time for such luxuries, young...Jedi. I aim to fulfill a higher calling."

" Oh, well said!" Luke laughed, though he sounded like he was gagging. " A fine answer for a politician such as yourself. I approve! I approve!" He then seemed to dance away from the group, down the path, reminding Anakin of a very young child, or a deer-like creature, frolicking among the flowers. " Sweet words, and sweet select actions–the optimal tools to win weak minds! Keep going as you are Chancellor, and you win all the idiots of the galaxy!"

" Chancellor," Anakin began in dismay, " I...I really cannot explain this."

" No need." Said Palpatine, his benevolent features contorted slightly in a fierce frown, and there was something distinctly unkind about his eyes. " He is a young rogue, no doubt ill-bred and of little consequence. He is no more harmful than a pesky fly."

Anakin decided not to mention that said 'pesky fly' had used the Force–without anyone sensing this–to pull down the chancellor's pants, something that could actually be quite harmful should the public ever get wind of it.

" What have you learned about him?" Palpatine went on to ask. " Who is he, and where did he come from?"

" He claims to have come from Tatooine. His name is, as you know, Luke."

" Just Luke?" The Chancellor frowned. " No surname?"

" He never provided us with one." Anakin replied.

" I see." Said the older man. " Very well." He then pasted on a rather fake-looking smile. Anakin was momentarily discomfited by it, before deciding that after the embarrassing incident earlier, it was a wonder the man had enough kindness in him to be as lenient as he was towards Luke. " Keep an eye out for the lad, young Skywalker." Said the Chancellor. " He seems to be in need of...guidance."

Anakin smiled. In truth, the Force seemed to be urging him to do the exact thing. " Yes sir." He replied.

The Chancellor then appeared to debate whether or not to speak further. He seemed to want to tell Anakin something. It made the Jedi wonder what the man came to the gardens for. After a moment, however, Palpatine apparently decided to let the matter drop. " I shall see you again very soon, young Skywalker." He clapped his hand on Anakin's shoulder. " Take care of yourself, and of him. See that he does not go astray with his...powers."

" Yes sir." Anakin inclined his head in salute.


	3. Chapter 3

Turns of Fate

Chapter 3

The Jedi Council decided to keep Luke under their watch, just in case he proved to be trouble. Of course, the Masters voiced this in far more euphemistic terms, claiming that they cared at all for Luke's well being and that he would be provided for during his stay.

More free Coruscant food! And his own room, which was only slightly larger than his room back on Tatooine, but it was far less dusty and or decorated. For one thing, it was only furnished with a cot, a table, and a chair. The walls were bare, and a lingering presence of an old Jedi resident permeated the air.

_Hey! Maybe this was Qui-Gon's room._ It sure as heck would not be Ben's, nor his father's. Luke reclined on the bed and looked up at the bare, marble ceiling. He hovered a few rocks in the air above him out of boredom.

_Luke?_

Luke grinned to himself. It was more of a relief to hear her mental voice than he could hope to express. Between keeping his spirits up in the face of strangers, and pretending that his father was just another Jedi lost in this time, the boy felt like he was being stretched thin. Add that to the royal _rottenness_ that his father was currently fawning over, the teen really wanted to reach out and choke someone like Darth Vader reportedly does all the time. Strangely enough, he was also hit with a strong urge to curl up and cry in the corner.

People in the Old Republic were just all so _stupid._

_Hey Leia._ Luke responded. _I'm here. In one piece. They're all very bemused but they don't think I'm a Sith or anything._

A pause. _That's a comfort._ His sister replied gravely. _What is your situation now?_

_ Under the watchful eyes of the Jedi. Ran into Yoda, but sort of missed my chance talking to him. Kind of never had one, because everyone was there. Including Palpatino._

A wave of anger wafted through their bond, to be instantly squelched down. _Don't do anything to him._ Leia said with some resignation. _What he did was vital to our galaxy._

_ Oh come on._ Luke stuck out his tongue, though his sister would never see it. _Well, I didn't go and kill him or anything. I know the course of fate as well as you do. Though you can't expect me to do _nothing.

A wary feeling come through this time. _Luke, what did you do?_

_ Nothing too harmful. I swear._

_ Luke!_

_ I pulled his pants down._

Luke gave his sister a few seconds to let that sink in.

_You _what_?!_

Oh, there could be no mistaking the amusement his sister was feeling. As far as payback goes, that was absolutely nothing compared to what Luke and his sister had prepared for the cursed Emperor, but with their tender fifteen years and Luke outside his timeline, this was about as good as it gets.

In his minds eye, he saw Leia, lying on her bed hugging a pillow while she talked to Luke through their bond. Right now, she was squeezing the pillow to avoid laughing too loudly. What came out were muffled giggles. He grinned. Leia had become increasingly morose lately. She was of the age where she was beginning to get more and more involved in galactic politics, which meant she was understanding, more and more, how little she could actually do without her brother beside her. In addition, she was constantly meeting with Vader, a feat not designed for the weak of heart, especially since she had a grave secret to keep from him. Leia was the one who saw, first hand, what Vader was capable of. It broke her heart to learn just what a monster her true sire was. Over the years, she had grown less and less happy, and found less and less reasons to laugh. Luke had been one of the few people who could still dig some mirth out of her.

_Oh Luke!_ She exclaimed, _What if he's on to you now? _Concern took over amusement immediately. _You really shouldn't have done that!_

_ I had no reason to be afraid. _Luke replied. _He can't do anything without exposing himself._

_ You don't know that. He's mad. Mad people don't do reasonable things._

_ Oh he's more worried about his own agendas. _Luke returned. _Right now, I'm just a weird kid with Force abilities. He doesn't know what to make of me, but if we know anything about Darth Sidious, it's that he likes to know what to make of things before he does anything. Which actually reminds me, I need you to do me a favor._

_ Oh?_

_ See if you can dig up any information about Poopatink. Past history, past relations, anything he's done, his habits, the like._

_ That's a tall order, Luke. _Leia thought back. _The Emperor isn't exactly friendly with his fans, assuming he has any. Anything readily available to the public is mainly propaganda about how great he was and various feats of valor._

_ Well, the stuff before in the Old Republic is less guarded._

_ That's because they hide it away from everyone. No one has access._

_ All the more reason to look there. They wouldn't expect anyone to look for it. And the stuff from the Old Republic is the stuff I actually need to deal with the bastard. After my stunt, he's definitely keeping an eye on me._

A wave of disapproval. _You might change the course of history from that one stunt._

_ Not too much. Just the timing._

_ Still bad enough._

_ Well, if you want me to fix it, I can. Just tell me about his past exploits, if you could._

_ You know,_ his sister then pointed out, _You're probably in a much better position to figure things out than me. You're currently in an era where news isn't controlled by the government. If there's any information you need, you'll have better luck finding it when you are._

Huh. Leia had a good point there. The problem was, Luke did not really know what he was looking for. His sister was much better at reading political jargon than he is.

Leia was not busy right now, so Luke told her to keep the connection open as he headed to the libraries. He passed by his father, and felt Leia take in a breath when their eyes met.

_He looks so human._ Leia observed sadly.

_Yeah._ Luke thought. It was no wonder, really, that Ben once claimed that Vader killed Jedi Skywalker. Anakin Skywalker really was a very different man.

_All he wanted was to save Mother._ Leia thought on. _That was all he wanted. It was just that he went too far._

_ Hard to say whose fault it was. _Luke replied. His father was looking at him in curiosity and concern. Time to forget their relationship, for the moment.

" Hey," Luke pasted on a wide grin, " Which way to the library? It's so dull in your rooms. Seriously, you folks here need to learn to put a poster or two on your walls. ' Star Wars! Episode Seven! Coming to holotheaters!' And a few actors portraying Jedi, holding fake laser weapons, and maybe some alien playing the Sith."

His father broke into a boyish grin not unlike Luke's own. " Star Wars? What kind of lame name is that? And _episode seven?_" He started walking Luke to the library.

_He is not your father. Not yet, anyway. _" I don't know. I just made it up and picked a random number. It sounded cooler in my head." He shrugged.

" It's Tatooine." His father said in an understanding tone. " It's those horrid soaps. Huttese romance."

" Oh ugh!" Luke grimaced at the thought. " Force! I don't watch the holo on Tatooine. Some of the stuff was just gross!"

He watched the holo on Alderaan, though. He would watch it through Leia's eyes. Recently, she tended to watch more politics and news, so Luke stopped watching with her. Occasionally, however, they would arrange to watch a good holomovie together.

A comfortable silence descended on the pair as they continued to make their way toward the library. After a while, it seemed like his father wanted to say something, but for the longest time, silence prevailed. Luke did not really know what to say to his father, so he did not encourage the Jedi to speak.

They arrived at the library. Rows upon rows of computers lined the room, with some padawans and knights using them. Luke settled down in front of one, and to his chagrin, his father settled next to him.

_Oh great._ Luke thought to Leia. _Dad's the one keeping an eye on me._ He felt his spirits drop to their lowest yet. _As if today isn't hard enough for me. I can't look up Palpatine now!_

He felt Leia give him some comforting encouragement. _Look up mother first._ She said. _There are more pictures of her, I think, and more information about her, back when you are. You might as well._

He obliged, searching, " Senator Amidala" on the holonet. He snuck a glance at his father, who was looking up something else on his own screen.

_I don't know whether to feel sorry for you, or to feel mad at you._ Luke thought to himself. _Feel sorry that you were placed in such an impossible position, or mad that you didn't accept that you put yourself there in the first place. Who was the guy that wanted to be a Jedi all his life? The one who vowed to come back to free his mother? It was _your _fault you didn't remember to do that until she died, you miserable excuse of a man. And being indignant about the Jedi Council–hah, after they didn't even want to train you in the first place? You should be glad you passed the Padawan stage. And letting a moron like Palpatine manipulate you _so _thoroughly! You think you can still be a husband and father once you converted into a Sith? What kind of retard are you?_

_ It wasn't just the Sith that took advantage of you, or the Jedi that failed to see you needed help. It was all you, as well. You caused Mom to die of heartbreak, and forced me and Leia to grow up apart and without our true parents. Life would have been so different. We could have been together, fighting over petty teen angst, dealing with regular family squabbles, rather than hiding from each other. You were such a _tool_, Dad!_

He pressed the key on the computer particularly hard, prompting his father to look his way in curiosity. The image of Queen Amidala loomed on screen, and Luke sensed the Jedi's breath freeze when he saw.

_Poor Mom._ Luke thought sadly. _She was a rare kind of person. Not only was she a good politician, she was also a good person._ Leia sent her agreement at the thought.

_She got caught up in a whirl of destiny too big for her. _Leia thought.

_Hence why I can't really be mad at Dad. _Luke thought back with resignation. _He had a destiny too big for him too. For all the stuff he had coming, at the same time there really wasn't any way to avoid it. The Force works in mysterious ways, but it will work the way it will._

_ Aye. _Leia agreed.

Luke contemplated his mother's picture. Time to cheer up. It would not do to be all morose during the one time he could really relax and have fun. This was Coruscant! This was the Jedi Temple at the end of its prime! Well not the end of its _prime_, more like, near its very end, but still! Freedom of the press! What's not to enjoy?

_Hey, you think I can bring home holophotos of Mom through time?_

_ No harm in trying. _Leia replied. _Doubt it would work though._

_ Why?_

_ Well…_

Luke grinned, looking for more photos of the senator.

" What are you doing?" His father finally asked. No doubt, he wondered why Luke was so obsessed with this one woman. Who happened to be his wife.

Luke smirked. _Oh this would be so cool. _" I think she's hot."

Oh that would rattle his father's temper. For a good measure, Luke added, " Cheeks like the twin suns, waist the size of a needle's end…which is not really all that romantic, but whatever."

He sensed his father's anger briefly, before the Jedi quickly controlled himself. " She is far too noble for such interest, young one."

" Oh who are you calling ' young one'?" Luke scoffed. " How old are you? Twenty-one? As if you're that much older than me. You could be a big brother, but you can't go around calling me ' young one'. I gave you a name, you know!"

This seemed to open a can of worms Luke had not anticipated. " Yes." His father said. " But you did not tell me your full name."

He did not say anything else, so Luke did not reply. He continued to download more photos of his mother.

" I see you will not tell me."

" Nope." Luke quipped. " I'm just Luke. And noble or not, she _is_ pretty. Is she married?"

_Luke!_ Leia scolded. _Why are you antagonizing him?_

_ Revenge…_Luke sent back at her, with a mischievous grin.

_Revenge is not the Jedi way._

_ We're not technically Jedi, so that's okay._

" No." His father replied to his earlier question. " She is not." He sounded very displeased.

" Shame." Luke kept his eyes on the screen. " What is it with Naboo? They're constantly electing bachelors into office. You know, in some places, that would be viewed as sketchy. Untrustworthy."

" Senator Amidala is a very capable politician, as is Chancellor Palpatine. They are both respectable people. You should show more courtesy towards them."

" No doubt Senator Amidala is very capable." Luke replied. He did not mention Palpatine, and his father definitely noticed. Fortunately, the man wisely chose not to comment. Luke was not sure his temper could handle his father defending the very bastard who would ruin all of the Skywalkers.

Obi-Wan's presence reached the room, and Luke turned around as he came in. _Ben!_ He thought, but managed to avoid shouting the greeting. It would not do to suddenly call Master Kenobi ' Ben' before he called himself that.

_Look at him, Leia! He is so young!_

_ Looks kind of cute, actually. _His sister thought.

_Huh?_ Luke grimaced at Obi-Wan. _Er…_

_ Compared to his present self! You are so immature!_

He deserved that one, especially since he had previously declared to himself that Palpatine was almost handsome. _I am sooo on drugs._ Luke stifled a chuckle. _Oh man. I gotta get out of this era soon, or else things would get _really _weird._

" Anakin," Obi-Wan said to his father as the Jedi got up to greet his master, " We have tracked down General Grievous to Utapau."

" General Grievous!" Luke hopped up, just as Leia echoed his remark in her thoughts. " Ooh! I want to come!"

The two Jedi gave him identical flabbergasted looks.

" This is a serious mission, Luke." Luke's father told him. " This is not for a padawan to embark on."

" Oh fine." Luke huffed. " Go deal with your important Knight businesses." He turned to the computer to browse through more photos.

His father reached over and clapped a hand on Luke's shoulder, startling the teen.

" Behave." Said the Jedi. " And be good. Don't cause trouble."

Luke looked speechlessly up at his father, suddenly feeling a deep pain radiating from his heart outwards and his eyes start to sting from the onset of tears. The gesture was simple and meaningless. Why was he in danger of crying all of the sudden?

His father, looking a bit unsure of himself, withdrew his hand. " Am I going with you to Utapau?" he whispered to Obi-Wan.

The other Jedi nodded. " Come. Let us prepare."

Luke saw his father sneak another glance back at him, this one filled with concern rather than irritation, before leaving the cluster. After a few seconds, Luke quickly shut off his holobrowser.

_Luke, what are you doing?_

_ Don't you see, Leia? Something's gone amiss._

_ Yes, I know. That's why I'm asking what you're doing! Father was never supposed to go on the mission to kill General Grievous! He was supposed to be instated into the Council!_

_ Well for some reason that didn't happen! _Luke slipped out of the library and began following the two Jedi down the hall as inconspicuously as he could. _My guess is, Palpatine was supposed to convince the Jedi masters, when I pulled down his pants. _He resisted the urge to start laughing. _So somehow, Dad never got around to getting indignant over not being declared Master. _

His sister cursed. _That does it! You shouldn't have pulled his pants down! I wish you would think before you act!_

_ There is still time to fix this. _Luke thought back.

_How, exactly? You plan to incapacitate our father somehow, prevent him from going on the trip? How are you planning on instating him into the Council? What about Palpatine?_

_ It doesn't really matter whether or not Dad is on the Council. He never makes decisions anyway, and it's not like Palpatine ends up knowing anything useful just because Dad's there. There's plenty of time for the Jedi to screw up and make Dad angry later, and for Palpatine to spew his Dark Side mumbo jumbo to tempt Dad. I just need to make sure Dad doesn't accidentally get killed by General Grievous._

_ How would he get killed? Obi-Wan killed the general single-handedly!_

_ Weird things happen! _Luke thought back. _Besides, I need to convince the Jedi that I'm trustworthy. What better way than to defeat an enemy with my awesome Force powers?_

His sister responded with a long train of outraged protestations, which Luke deftly ignored. The two Jedi ordered the preparations for their plane before retiring to their rooms to prepare. Luke, using the Force to divert attention away from himself, snatched the first opportunity to steal aboard the plane. Almost minutes after he settled in the back, Obi-Wan and his father climbed aboard the ship. Leia, who had been voicing objections all the while, fell silent when she saw there was no way for Luke to get off without the two Jedi noticing.

_Don't do anything stupid, Luke!_ She warned. _You're putting all of us at risk here! Not the least yourself! What if you get killed back there?_

_ I object!_ Luke returned playfully. _ I never do anything stupid. I won't put any of us at risk, least of all myself. I'm fighting a krethin' _robot_. It's three Jedi against one. It's a party!_

Leia's frustrated sigh of resignation was covered by the whir of engines as Luke's father started the ship and lifted it from the ground.


	4. Chapter 4

Turns of Fate

Chapter 4

Once the ships were in hyperspace, the astromech droid, who was actually perched in a separate chamber from the two Jedi, was ordered to monitor their ship's engines. Obi-Wan reclined back in his pilot chair and let out a breath. He wanted to speak, but it was Anakin who broke the silence first.

" What will become of that boy? Will he be sent back to Tatooine?"

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin. " You are worried about him."

" He is incredibly obstinate."

" Much like someone I know."

The two Jedi shared a chuckle.

" I must confess, Master," Anakin paused for a moment, " I feel a kind of connection to him. Perhaps it is because we both hail from Tatooine, but I can't really explain."

" Is it possible he is a distant relative?" Obi-Wan asked gently. " Such cases are not uncommon." He added, when Anakin looked at him questioningly. " In the past, occasionally we have first cousins both entering the Order. Maybe you should ask for his surname."

" What happens when two relatives both enter the Order?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan shrugged. " Nothing, really. They are treated as individual Jedi. We are all brothers and sisters in the Temple, so it is of little consequence."

Anakin felt a wave of unease. He knew his master sensed this, for Obi-Wan's eyes were very intent. He did not say anything, and after a while, his master decided to drop that particular subject.

" We need to learn who trained him, first." Said Obi-Wan. " Whoever his master was, did not use traditional methods. He does not appear to have learned the basic principles of a Jedi."

" Obedience, orderliness, control?"

" It is hard to say." Said Obi-Wan. " One could say he is out of control, but at the same time he appears to be very _in _control of himself."

" You mean he could have pulled of worse stunts?"

" It is not just that." Obi-Wan remarked. " His control of the Force was…exceptional, to say the least. None of us ever felt him use it, and it is fair to say that he might have connected with the Force more than we had counted."

Anakin pondered on this, remembering Luke's remarks about his nightmares and…_Oh no._ Luke had mentioned the name of the Sith Lord. Was it the right name? Oh, he wished he had not been so distracted by his own fears and remembered to report it to the Council! If Luke knew who the Sith Lord was, so many of their problems could be solved!

" What is it, Anakin?" Obi-Wan abruptly cut into his thoughts.

" It's Luke." Anakin told him. " He mentioned the Sith Lord. He asked me if we were looking for him yet…the phrasing itself was very strange. And I think he even mentioned the Sith's name…Darth…Sidious?"

Obi-Wan froze. " Did you tell anyone?"

" No, at the time I was distracted by all the other antics he was pulling." That was the truth, at least part of it.

" Darth Sidious was not any known Sith name in the past." Obi-Wan stared at him. " This boy might have had premonitions. Perhaps that is why the Force brought him to us. We should inform the others of this development, have them question the boy and see if he could provide any answers. Once we are out of hyperspace, I will relate the matter to the Council."

The two Jedi settled into silence. Anakin thought back to his wife, and the baby within her. Perhaps Luke was not here to threaten them, he considered. Maybe Luke was here to help. After all, the child was not evil. He was a bit erratic, strange, adventurous and playful, but not wicked. Perhaps the Force did bring him here to help the Jedi uncover the Sith. And Luke had mentioned some other things. _I've always wanted to get to know you. Chosen One. The Force gave you a destiny too big for you._ He frowned at these words. _Are you having nightmares yet?_

" Whatever happens," Obi-Wan suddenly spoke, " I doubt the Order would send Luke back to Tatooine, not unless he really wants to go."

" Maybe he's here to be trained…though he is a bit old."

" He is already trained, at least partially, from what I can tell." Said Obi-Wan. " It really depends on how he was trained."

" What if this Ben is a Sith?"

" That is highly doubtful. Besides the lack of darkness in that child, there is no Sith I could think of who would allow their apprentice to call them 'Ben'."

Anakin grinned. " Darth Ben." He chuckled. " User of the Dark Side! Master of all Siths! Can you imagine?"

Obi-Wan was laughing. " After names like Darth Maul?"

" We can have a new generation of Siths named Darth Joe, Darth Bill, Darth Bob," The idea was so absurd that the two Jedi chuckled for a long time, especially when Anakin's names became more colorful and somewhat offensive. The talk eventually left the subject of Luke's potential teachers and on to Jedi jokes. Despite Anakin's earlier chastisement of Luke for not showing enough respect, the jokes were mostly composed of making fun of Jedi Masters.

" So Master Yoda and Master Windu walk into a cantina and buy a five credit drink. Master Yoda only had four credits, so he turns to Master Windu and asks, ' Have a credit, do you? A little short I am.'"

" Haha! Oh Force, do you think Master Yoda knows there are so many jokes about his height?"

" He has to have had heard at least some of them back when he was a padawan." Obi-Wan managed through his mirth. " Oh ho, here's another one. This was actually something I heard from a padawan. It's what Yoda would never say; the first one, I think, is ' What expect you from someone eight hundred years old? English perfect?'"

Anakin exploded into laughter. " First meeting between Master Yoda and a Sith. ' Size matters not'."

" He then proceeds to beat the living daylights out of his opponent."

" You know what I want to see at some point? Master Yoda in a duel."

" Size matters not indeed."

" Have you seen him with a lightsaber before?"

" He stopped before I became padawan, I think. Back then, people used to run away whenever Master Yoda went on a mission, and then we had to chase them. So the Jedi Masters quickly learned that we can send other Jedi on missions, just not Master Yoda."

" Oh, but what a sight that would have been."

" Indeed."

The light conversation continued for a while. By the time they reached Utapau, both Jedi were in relatively good spirits, despite the gravity of their task. They emerged into normal space and instantly went in orbit around the planet. Obi-Wan sent a message to the Jedi Council regarding the identity of the Sith.

" _Certain, are you, that the boy knows this information?" _Yoda inquired.

" No." Anakin replied. " But he did drop enough hints to warrant suspicion, Master Yoda. I think it would not hurt to question him further."

" _Hm. Question the boy, we will._" Yoda replied. _" In the meantime, focus on General Grievous, you must. Underestimate him, do not. May the Force be with you."_

" May the Force be with you." Obi-Wan and Anakin chorused. The connection was cut off.

" Their turn to deal with the boy." Anakin said to Obi-Wan. " I have a feeling he is about as enigmatic as Master Yoda is on his worst days."

Obi-Wan laughed.

A bit of static interrupted the two. " _...This is command center from Pau City. Please state your purpose."_

" This is General Obi-Wan Kenobi from the Galactic Republic. We come on a mission from the Jedi Council. We carry no hostile intentions."

_" General, please maintain your orbit at this time. We will notify you when you may land."_

Anakin sighed. " Air traffic control. If Grievous is here, was it wise to reveal we are Jedi?"

" I have a plan." Obi-Wan glanced up where he knew the astromech droid would be. " The astromech will take the shuttle and leave the planet's orbit. This will make them believe we have left after a short visit, during which we can see if the Pau'ans are as neutral as they have been in the past."

After a while, they were allowed to land. The landscape of large sinkholes loomed before them. When they exited the ship, they were greeted by the Pau'an Port Administrator, Tion Medon.

Throughout the entire discourse between Obi-Wan and Medon, Anakin found himself getting distracted by thoughts of Luke. He had a distinct feeling that something was not going according to plan. Maybe the Council was having trouble pulling information out of the boy?

Actually, based on what he knew of Luke, the Council might actually be having trouble _finding _him. That seemed to be more his style. Obi-Wan thanked Tion Medon, and turned around to Anakin.

" We have his location." Obi-Wan whispered to Anakin. " I will be sending the astromech droid back to the Republican ships as decoy. You and I will go there directly."

" Where? Is it far?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan gestured to the giant mounts that the Pau'ans have prepared for the two of them.

" Hm!" Anakin remarked. " Guess it doesn't matter."

They hid in the shadows as Artoo took the fighter away from the port, before mounting the giant lizards and riding to the tenth level, where Tion Medon claimed General Grievous was. They went through the dark and winding tunnels, and arrived as General Grievous briefed his Council. The General was a dark-looking figure, his voice raspy and deep like a baritone with respiratory problems.

" Your ship is waiting." General Grievous declared, and they saw, from above, the various members leave their seats and head towards the ship. Obi-Wan contemplated the droids below as Anakin shushed their mounts. He was a bit startled when Obi-Wan suddenly shrugged off his cloak and jumped down.

" Hello there!" Obi-Wan said in a jovial tone. Anakin blinked. He was always a bit unprepared when his teacher would go for the aggressive tactic.

" General Kenobi!" Grievous laughed menacingly, as the droids surrounded the Jedi. " Kill him!"

As the droids advanced, Obi-Wan used the Force to drop a large metal weight on top of the droids. They twitched under the weight as they short-circuited, emitting robotic equivalents of groans. As the other droids advanced, Grievous inexplicably changed his mind. " Back away!" He ordered. " I will deal with this Jedi slime myself!"

Anakin also shrugged off his cloak, prepared to jump down to help his master.

" No no," Luke panted, " Let's see how he does."

Anakin stared at Luke, dumbstruck. The boy beside him raised a finger signaling him to wait, and doubled over to catch his breath.

" Luke! What the _Force _are you doing here? How did you even get here?!"

" Running," Luke panted, " Those lizards sure move fast!"

For a moment where reason abandoned him completely, Anakin believed that Luke ran here from Coruscant.

Reaching out in a type of terrified anger—anger over the boy's presence here—he could be _killed!_ Anakin grabbed Luke's arm and tugged him forcefully back. " You are to stay here." He said furiously to the child. " I am not kidding. If you step down there, I will kill you myself!"

" Ow!" Luke exclaimed. " Let go! You're hurting me!"

With an effort, Anakin let go, peering over the side. Obi-Wan was backing away as Grievous whipped out his lightsabers.

" Impressive colors." Luke remarked. " How come he doesn't use red lightsabers? Do only Sith use them?"

The wretched boy was nearing the edge again! Anakin roughly pulled him back.

" Listen you," Anakin warned him, " I don't care if you're from Tatooine. I don't care if you think you're as powerful as Master Yoda himself." Obi-Wan sliced off one of Grievous's appendages, and the battle momentarily paused as the two combatants readapted to the situation. Anakin, oblivious, went on, " You stay put, _right _here, and let me and Obi-Wan take care of Grievous. Whatever you do, _don't _move from this spot, unless for some reason the droids start coming up here, in which case you _run. _Do you know the phrase ' run like a bantha'? That is _exactly _what you will do. Do you understand me? Am I clear?"

Below, Obi-Wan sliced off another one of Grievous's hands. The general looked again at his missing appendage with a groan-like noise, before advancing on Obi-Wan again.

" You are ever so clear, like clear windows. Clear mirrors. Clear Tatooine skies. Clear like Padme's eyes!"

_What the—_

Before Anakin could react at all to the latest comment, Luke suddenly vanished. The Jedi blinked. The boy had inched toward the edge! The rascal had landed right into the middle of the battle between Obi-Wan and Grievous! Just then, he heard the sound of blaster shots. The stormtroopers had arrived.

" Army or not, you must realize," Grievous was saying as Luke crouched behind the droid, " You are doomed!"

" Uh huh," Luke quipped, causing the droid to spin around, waving his two remaining lightsabers menacingly, " After he cut off two of your hands when you started off with four. Yeah, he's totally in trouble."

Anakin jumped down next to Obi-Wan, who looked at his former padawan with an expression of pure shock.

Before Anakin could even begin to explain, Luke went on, " So, obviously you're not very well trained by Dooku to fight against an armed Jedi. What about an unarmed one?"

_Luke!_ Anakin thought, something like despair seizing his heart. _Are you _trying _to get yourself killed?!_

Grievous was ever the vocal one. He laughed a low, rattling rumble. " Little Jedi," He hissed, " Your arrogance will be your end!"

He swung his lightsaber at Luke, who dodged nimbly. The brat was backing away, but he seemed relaxed and jovial.

" Say, you should go see about your voice. It sounds like you have throat cancer. Maybe you should think about cutting down on the smoking!" He ducked again as the general swiped at him again. " Hey didn't Count Dooku teach you how to take advantage of your rotating joints? No? You should really practice your form you know. Hunchback isn't good form. Straighten up!"

Anakin cursed. " Luke, quit fooling around! Get out of the way!" His lightsaber was activated in his hand, but he was too nervous to approach. Not with the child around, ruining things! Is the boy suicidal?!

" Oh fine!" Luke rolled his eyes. " You always have to cut down on the fun! It hasn't even been a minute yet!"

He suddenly reached out with both hands and twisted both wrists outwards, then jerked his elbows back and flung both fists out on each side, before swiping them together and clapping with open palms. One of Grievous's lightsabers instantly snuffed out. As the general glanced at his weapon in confusion, Luke repeated the motions, effectively snuffing the other one out. The general appeared to try to flick his lightsaber back on, but somehow, Luke had damaged both. The bright beams refused to activate.

_What in the galaxy?!_ Anakin stared in wide-eyed disbelief.

Luke was not finished yet, however. He clenched his fists and pulled outwards, and the metal doors to Grievous's core creaked open. Luke then planted his legs one in front of the other, and swung his arm up and around behind him, followed by his other arm as he spun his torso to the side. He pushed forward, with his wrist down and out, with one hand and then the next. Grievous was thrown back by an invisible force, and from his torso, the core caught on fire. Luke repeated the motion again, and Grievous exploded. The droid clattered to the ground, bits of static flickering over the now motionless form.

The army of stormtroopers were quickly subduing the battle droids. Luke brushed off his palms in a very satisfied gesture. He looked pleased with himself, and thoroughly underwhelmed by the magnitude of what he had just done. He did not even look like he had a headache, from all that Force-manipulation he did.

" Say," He exclaimed to the two dumbfounded Jedi, " I'm _starving._ Does Utapau have good food?"


	5. Chapter 5

Turns of Fate

Chapter 5

" It is your fault for stowing away when you were supposed to remain at the Temple." Luke's father scolded, as Luke whined about the cramped conditions of his return. " Besides, I do not recall hearing you complain on the way here!"

" Well I didn't even get to eat." Luke muttered.

Once the Jedi recovered their bearings, between Obi-Wan's anxious reprimands and Anakin's thunderous threats that Luke was _so _getting his dues once they head back to Coruscant, the two Jedi proceeded to drag Luke bodily to the ship, and the army took off to hyperspace. Luke did not even get an opportunity to taste Utapau food. Which was probably just as well, since it might not be edible for humans. Still, he _was _hungry—it had been hours since lunch at the Jedi Temple. He poked at his sister through their bond, but his sister was too distracted to notice. _Ugh. I'm left to starve on my own,_ Luke thought dramatically. _And they didn't even praise me for doing a good job! What the heck?!_

In response to Luke's earlier comment, his father threw a ration bar backwards at Luke. He could tell the Jedi's temper was running short. Ben had always told him that his father had poor impulse control, and often struggled to restrain his emotions. Right now, Luke could sense a simmering anger in his father.

Luke was far from intimidated, however. He had neatly disposed of Grievous the way his father could not even dream of, after all.

" Ew." Luke remarked, as he tore at the wrapper, " What is this stuff? It looks gross."

" Beggars can't be choosers." His father replied shortly. " Do you have any idea what kind of danger you could be in?"

" I did fine!" Luke sulked. " I took care of him, like that! One two three! It was nice and clean! He was a pipsqueak robot!"

Obi-Wan turned around to look at him. " A 'pipsqueak robot'?"

Luke chortled in disbelief. " You actually said it too!"

They were in hyperspace, so both pilot and copilot turned around to glare at the boy.

" You _will _have to explain yourself to the Council when we return, young one." Obi-Wan reproached. " Whether or not you think so, you could have jeopardized a vital mission. General Grievous was not one to be toyed with. He has been the source of grief for the Republic since the beginning of the war."

" Depends on who the Republic is." Luke muttered, taking a bite out of the bar. _Ugh, this thing is disgusting. _" Chancellor Palpitation sure seems to be taking advantage of the situation." As Luke's father turned around, no doubt to defend the monster, Luke suddenly exploded, " Don't go all loyal on him there! _Anyone _with even a single brain cell can tell you that guy was shady as Utapau's sinkholes! Force knows why all of you morons are still chorusing after him!" He took another fierce bite, accidentally splitting his lip in the process. " The guy is worse than a Hutt."

" I do not know where you got this grudge against the Chancellor, but I will have you know, Luke," His father warned, " Tatooine is not the ideal place to learn the truth. The people there have a natural animosity towards the Republic. Not all of what you think you know is actually true."

" Oh, so it's _not _true that his great Chancellorship has been holding on to his emergency powers the way Jabba the Hutt holds his weight?"

" The Chancellor is holding such power only because General Grievous remained a threat. Now that the general has been defeated, the Chancellor will naturally relinquish his power." His father said confidently.

" Right, and I'm the Queen of Naboo."

The Jedi began to retort, but Luke did not hear him. Leia, who was mysteriously quiet during the entire trip from Coruscant and the battle against General Grievous, suddenly called to him through their link.

_Luke, is everything alright? You seem angry about something._

Luke swallowed the last of the ration bar. _Just Dad, defending Palpatine. And I'm starving and they have nothing but those disgusting ration bars._

_Luke, you know he has to defend Palpatine._

_Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to like it._

His sister sighed. _I was looking up the calendar while you were dealing with Grievous. Did they kill him?_

_Er…_How to answer this question? _He's dead…_

_It figures that you killed him, Luke. You only said that you would when you stowed away on their ship._ Leia said with disapproval. _No one got hurt, I hope? Good._ She went on before Luke could answer. _I was looking up the sequence of events. General Grievous was defeated about six weeks before we were born. This means you have six weeks to fix whatever damage you have done, not inflict additional damage, and get yourself back to our time._

Oh. _Alright, what do I have to do? I have to get Dad to be mad at the Jedi Council, Palpatine to issue Order 66, and somehow get back…somehow. What will happen if I don't make it back in time?_

_I have no idea. But expect the worst._

_I stop existing. Whoopie. Well, there must be a reason I got sent here—_

_Luke, the timing is important._ Leia told him seriously. _Stop kidding around and listen to me. Our fate might have nothing to do with the time of our birth, but our current existence, right now, depends on when we were born._

_Okay?_

_So, you have to get Palpatine to issue Order 66, and for our Father to strangle our mother, at the precise right time. Remember, he did that on Mustafar!  
_

_Wha? Why? What does strangling Mom that have to do with our birth?_

_Because we were born earlier than we should have. Mother's stress caused stress on us, which forced us out into the world early. The timing is very important. If we are born even earlier than that, assuming we aren't premature and don't die shortly afterwards, your existence—and mine, will be completely rewritten. The same goes for if we are born later.  
_

_But no matter when we're born, we'd still be Luke and Leia. I don't see how this matters._

_It matters because _you_ are identified by when you are born. If our birth dates get changed, we'd be replaced. We'd cease to exist. Now I'm in the correct timepoint, so it's probably not a huge issue for me. _You're _the one that's at the wrong timepoint and may have to suffer the consequences._

Luke contemplated this for a while. _Huh. So two things could happen in that case. I'd get erased…or I get stuck in this timepoint, unable to return, while you just disappear from my consciousness._

_You have six weeks._ Leia informed him. _Try to get things together and return the events to their correct order and timing. Timing is important! I'll look up anything that has to happen for you from here._

Luke cursed. So much for having fun. _Alright, so what got messed up so far? Dad's not in the Council, nor is he going to be the one to report to the Chancellor about Grievous, which means Paparazzi hasn't and won't feed him stuff about the Dark Side…_Right. Piece of cake. _How exactly am I supposed to do this again?_

_Well, it would be helpful if you can _stop showing off your Force Powers, _Luke. _His sister remarked with exasperation. _And it would have been even better if you had not pulled down his pants, but _forgive me_, it is too late already. _

" Luke?" His father sounded worried now. " Are you alright?" Luke glanced up to see concerned blue eyes studying him.

" You did help destroy General Grievous." Obi-Wan said in a kind tone. " You have done a great service to the Republic, and to the Jedi Order. You were rash, yes, but overall, you did very well."

They were comforting him! Luke realized that while he was talking with his sister, he had sunk into what appeared to be a troubled silence. He could not help but be touched by their gesture. _You were an idiot, Dad,_ He thought, _But aren't we all? You were still a good guy._

" I'm okay." Luke told them. " Just thinking about things."

" Well, now the Jedi Masters know why they weren't able to find Luke." Luke's father declared. His anger had dimmed down. Strange. " At least you're safe and sound, which would count for a lot, regardless. Though all of us would appreciate it if you behave from now on."

" I always behave. And when I don't, I'm always helpful. That's me, Luke S—oh Sithspit!"

The younger Jedi turned to him, a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. " An S, eh? Well, I must say you _are _behaving yourself now!"

" Shut up." Luke huffed, angry at himself for the blunder. _Of all the times to mess up!_ " I'm not saying anymore. When we get back, I'll fix some things and then I'm going home."

" Fix what things?" Obi-Wan asked. He sounded amused.

_Luke,_ Leia warned.

_I know! Get off my case!_

" I'm good at fixing stuff." Luke declared. " Droids, ships, speeders, anything with wires and circuits, I can mend in a jiffy." He could not resist adding, " Was told I got that from my Dad. Say Skywalker, I heard you weren't too shabby of a mechanic yourself."

His father chuckled. " Are you telling me, Luke S, that the Force brought you from Tatooine to Coruscant so you can fix speeders and fighters at the Jedi Temple?"

" Force works in mysterious ways!"

The two Jedi exchanged a look. His father had lowered his voice, but Luke still managed to hear what he said. " I like this kid." His father told Obi-Wan. " I shall miss him if we do send him away."

" Could take him as your Padawan, if you can handle him." Obi-Wan whispered back. " Then you will learn how much grief you gave me when you were his age."

" I'm sure I'll learn by example." The younger Jedi grinned.

The two chuckled. Behind them, Luke reclined back, suddenly unsure how to feel. He felt a kind of deep joy and pride, at the knowledge that his father liked him. It was strange, but he realized that he never considered whether or not his father would be proud of him, and if it would matter. From when he was very young, he knew his father had been a great man, but the only thing anyone worried about by then was Darth Vader's destructive evil. Afterwards it became more about whether Uncle Owen was pleased, or if Aunt Beru was happy. There was no time or reason to wonder if Padme or Anakin Skywalker would have liked him as a son. The thought seemed so meaningless, compared to the harsh reality.

The idea that he had grown into the type of person Anakin Skywalker would miss, back before he had been touched by the Dark Side, gave Luke more pleasure than he was prepared for. And based on the trip to Utapau, his Dad had actually been…kind of like Luke, actually. Leia always complained about Luke's sense of humor. Now he can stuff it in her face. _See, I got my lame jokes from Dad! It's in the genes! _Though he never realized his father was mischievous _that _way, nor that Ben had been similarly inclined; the Ben Kenobi Luke knew was morose and solemn, any mirth always pulled down by the trauma of losing a student, a brother, and a son in the matter of hours. Ben had always blamed himself for Anakin Skywalker's downfall, until Luke and Leia pointed out to him that he had done the best he could, and that the twins forgive him, if nothing else.

This Ben, Obi-Wan, was light, carefree, and had the same awful sense of humor Luke's father (and Luke) had. Who knew that the pair use to crack jokes at Yoda's expense when they go on missions? Did all Jedi do that? Regardless, both of them seem so much happier. The galaxy was a mess in this era, but at least Obi-Wan and Anakin had still been able to find joy in their lives, before things fell apart for both.

All of the sudden, abandoning his father and Ben to the fate before them seemed cruel. Setting things back to the way they supposedly 'should be', and simply walking away, felt hard to do. He suddenly was no longer looking forward to arriving back at Coruscant. Once there, what then? He would be out of his cramped quarters, but this all too brief moment with the younger Ben Kenobi and his long lost father would be over. Anakin Skywalker did not know Luke was his son, but he still cared for him, that much Luke knew. Anakin Skywalker liked him. Once they arrive, Luke would have to get to work, and he would not be able to spend time with his father.

_Six weeks to get an autograph and bring back holophotos of Mom._ Luke thought. _And to change things back the way they were._ Feeling reluctant, he tried to console himself. _The Force likes both chaos and order. Life is about change. The galaxy needs change. The galaxy over family. The galaxy over yourself. The Force works in mysterious ways. Destiny surrounds the Skywalker bloodline. We must fulfill it, regardless of our own pain.  
_

" Are you alright?" His father asked. " Do you want me to move some stuff so that you're less cramped?"

" No, I'm good." Luke turned his face away so the Jedi could not see him struggle to contain his tears. He could not stand to see how…_compassionate_, his father was being. What a difference from the man he would become. " I'm fine."

Anakin gave him a dubious look, before dropping the matter. Luke closed his eyes. It was a few hours to Coruscant, and he had a long day. The hum of the engines lulled him to sleep.

At first, all was a comforting dark. All too soon, however, a nightmare took form. It was a familiar nightmare, one that he had frequently at random intervals, ever since Ben had told him of the vast responsibilities that were placed on Luke's shoulders since he was born. All of the sudden, he was back in Tatooine, in that small hut he shared with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, and Ben was sitting at the kitchen table, his eyes solemn and his voice sad. Luke was five years old.

_You will have to kill your father._ Ben's said regretfully. _It is the only way to defeat the Dark Side._

_I can't!_ Luke tried to shout to him. Why won't Ben understand? _He's my _father_! How can I kill my own _father?_ I can't do it! I can't! I CAN'T!!_

But he had, already, despite his protests, and at Luke's feet his father's corpse shuddered and twitched as the last of his life left. The decapitated head rolled to the side and the mask fell off. It was not his father's head, though. It was…

_Leia! No!_

" Luke?"

The space inside the ship was small enough that his father was able to touch Luke's knee when he reached back. The Jedi was shaking his leg. " Luke, are you alright? That was some nightmare!"

Luke swallowed. " Ugh." He groaned. His heart was racing and the horror had yet to lift. " I'm fine. Thanks." He croaked.

" Do you want to talk about it?"

Luke shook his head, feeling miserable. " No thanks. It's not a big deal."

" You had a trying day." Obi-Wan said understandingly. " You are safe with us. Do not be afraid."

His father shot Luke an encouraging smile. " I don't know. I still need to fulfill my promise to kill you. Rascal."

That earned a laugh from Luke. He felt his fears finally ebb away. " I'd like to see you try!"

" How did you learn to do all of that anyway?"

" Oh, you decide to ask that _now_? You weren't curious before?"

" Better late than never."

Luke furrowed his brow. " It's your favorite subject, Knight Skywalker. Meditation."

With Leia, of course, because meditation was more fun that way, and they realized that because they were twins, their Force sensitivity was enhanced when they meditate together, despite being light years away. One day, Luke will ask Ben whether identical twins have an even stronger bond. In fact, he could probably sneak a chance and ask the younger Obi-Wan right here.

Obi-Wan grunted in amusement. " Say, Anakin, maybe Luke should teach you instead."

" Master!" Luke's father exclaimed in horror.

After a few chuckles, the Jedi fell silent. His father had simply accepted Luke's answer; perhaps the two simply accepted that Luke had a lot of power. Which was not untrue. " How long was I out?" Luke asked.

" A couple of hours." Said Obi-Wan. " We will be at the Temple soon."

Luke shifted to a more comfortable position and closed his eyes again. He sensed his father's bright presence at the edge of his conscience. Untainted by the Dark Side. He fell asleep again. This time, he did not dream.


	6. Chapter 6

Turns of Fate

Chapter 6

Padme was waiting for Anakin at the Temple, her belly large and her skin glowing with beauty. She risked much coming here, and he dared not greet her any more than was necessary. From the corner of his eye, he could see Luke studying her. _The little rascal._ He thought. He was not at all worried that Luke might steal his wife from him. The boy was too young, and Padme too loyal, for such a preposterous notion.

" A congratulations are in order." Chancellor Palpatine declared. " I heard that you have located and defeated General Grievous."

" It was Luke's doing, sir." Obi-Wan explained. " The boy has a talent that far surpassed our expectations."

The obstinate brat himself marched up to the Chancellor, though given the boy's previous behavior, Anakin should have expected as much. " This means you're returning the Republic to a democracy, yes?" He seemed to jab. " Letting go of your awesome emergency powers now that the huge threat looks like it's gone."

" Looks like?" The Chancellor raised his eyebrows.

" Well yes." Luke replied. " There's always a threat, emerging somewhere."

Anakin tugged Luke back by the back of his collar. " What did I tell you about behaving?" He hissed through gritted teeth.

" I can't help it!" Luke declared loudly. " He's irresistible!" He turned to Padme to exclaim, " And you're short!" to which Anakin slapped him on the back of the head. Hard.

Ignoring the bizarre comment, Obi-Wan stepped forward, " My apologies, Chancellor, Senator," He said remorsefully to the man, " I think young Luke is still excited over his first victory in a major battle." Luke huffed a ' Wasn't major at all', which everyone ignored, " It does not excuse his actions, but I encourage you not to take it to heart."

" Ah, the young are wild, free spirits." Said the Chancellor graciously. " And he is undoubtedly unused to the customs of the higher society." With a magnanimous smile, he said to Luke, " You have our thanks, of course. The galaxy is a more peaceful place with your services now."

Anakin sensed Luke beginning to respond. Desperate to do anything to keep the boy quiet, he tugged Luke back again by the collar, causing a choked cry from the boy. " Chancellor, forgive my rudeness. The boy has been whining about food during the entire trip here—" this was not true—Luke had slept most of the way back, but he tugged Luke again to silence any protestations, " So I will tend to that matter in person."

" Very well, Anakin." Said Master Windu. " Afterwards, bring him to the Council room; we would like to speak with him."

" Oh you don't have to do that!" Luke grinned, while Anakin resisted the urge to smack his forehead with his hand. " Senator Amidala can walk me down to the kitchens if I really need an escort. Please? I'm a fan!"

This was beyond impertinent. He tossed a pleading glance at Obi-Wan, who nodded slightly, agreeing to relate the events to the Council while Anakin prevented Luke from offending anyone any more than he already has. The earlier feelings of endearment for the boy were gone now, to be replaced by irritation. He turned around to push the boy before him, but not before exchanging a look with Padme. His wife looked more amused than offended. As popular as she was on Naboo, she was probably use to such audacity from the younger members of her society.

" Oh fine!" Luke protested loudly.

Anakin grumbled. " What will it take for you to behave?"

Luke, looking pleased with himself, said nothing.

The other Jedi looked at them as they passed. One of them laughed at Anakin, no doubt amused at his expense. Anakin simply rolled his eyes. " I deserve a promotion." He muttered.

" She's short." Luke remarked. " She's like, petite. Is everyone from Naboo like that, or is it just her?"

" I really have no idea why you are so interested in the Senator."

Luke just laughed. He seemed to suddenly realize something. " Oh cool. Something went right for once."

" What?"

" Hey, she looks pregnant." Luke stated, ignoring Anakin completely. " If she's not married, then who's the father?"

Anakin stopped, and Luke stopped with him, a playful smirk still lingering on his lips. The Jedi was unsettled. This could not be a coincidence. The boy was asking too many pointed questions. And even if he was not, the observations would have degrading implications for Padme. He could not bear the thought of anyone looking down on his wife, especially because of him.

" How do you expect I know?" Anakin asked.

" Aren't you best friends with her?"

This was something that people on Coruscant might know, but not a farmboy from Tatooine. Anakin folded his arms, staring at the teen.

" Ah." Luke bent close to him with an impish grin. " I see."

Anakin clenched his fists, but despite Luke's behavior, something told him Luke knew this already. How, Anakin did not really contemplate. it was besides the point now. He was mostly worried about the safety of his wife and their unborn child. " What do you want?" He asked.

" Come on," Luke moved on, " I'm _famished_. And maybe you can let me meet Padme Naberrie afterwards. And don't worry about me revealing your precious secret. It won't matter in the end. I mean, seriously, do you _honestly_," The boy stopped Anakin in the hall and lowered his voice so he would not be overheard, " Do you _honestly _think that it's possible to be both a father and a Jedi? Husband and Jedi, _maybe_. But Father?"

Anakin froze. _He did know._ " I have no idea what you mean."

" You were having nightmares, are you not?" Luke said lightly, looking away. " Padme, crying for you, dying in childbirth."

Anakin saw instantly that playing dumb was not going to work with this boy. It was better to face the truth head on. " Yes." He confessed quietly.

Luke turned around and narrowed his eyes at him. " Hm." He frowned a little. " Tell me, Knight Skywalker, would you sacrifice your offspring in exchange for the lovely Senator?"

Anakin clenched his jaw. This was actually something that had been on his mind for a while, the idea that perhaps he would have to kill the child within Padme's womb in order to save her. It had troubled him for months, ever since he began having dreams.

" I don't know." He finally said. " I hope it does not come to that."

Luke smiled. The expression looked strangely solemn. " You have considered this for some time, I see."

Anakin did not bother denying it.

" That would stress anyone out!" Luke beamed at him. The expression looked very insincere. He turned around and started heading to the cafeteria.

Remembering that Luke mentioned that his parents were dead, Anakin hurried to catch up, asking, " Luke…your parents…how did they die?"

The boy did not answer for a while. For a moment, Anakin thought he was ignoring the question, but then, " My parents died around when I was born. Mom died giving birth. Dad died sometime before."

An uncomfortable silence fell. Anakin suddenly wished he treated Luke more like a child he actually was, rather than the prophet he was pretending to be.

" I'm sorry." Said Anakin. " You should know, it wasn't your fault. Your parents would never blame you for their deaths." He paused. " I certainly would never blame my child, if the time comes."

Luke looked up at Anakin, his eyes strangely bright. " Well yeah, especially when you would do everything in your awesome Jedi power to prevent it. Anyway, I was a baby. Not like I asked to be born." He smirked.

Sensing a sorrow the boy was not acknowledging, Anakin tugged the boy to a halt again. " I am serious, Luke." He said to the boy. " I have no doubt that your parents would have given anything to be with you right now. They would have liked you." He smirked. " Even if you can be a _serious _pain in the backside as a Jedi padawan."

Luke stuck his tongue out and grinned. " Thanks, my friend." He said honestly. " It means a lot, coming from you. By the way, when they appoint you to the Council, they'll refuse to give you the title of Master. Before you go around getting all angry, try to consider their point of view."

Anakin blinked. That was bizarre, and not just Luke's abrupt change in topic. The Chancellor had, before Luke arrived at the Temple, mentioned to Anakin briefly that the Jedi Council should appoint Anakin as a member, and grant him the title of Master, but the conversation had been casual, and Anakin had not thought any of it since. " Why would they refuse to give me the title of Master?" He could not help asking, indignation swelling inside him. _They need me!_ He thought angrily. _The Chancellor said so_! " They don't think I'm worthy?" _They still don't trust me! After everything I've done—_

" Well, besides the fact that you're barely older than I am and have worse impulse control problems than I do? It's because you're chummy with the Chancellor, Chum-chum. They can't have the Chancellor direct an inside Master Chumwalker when he's a politician who should have no business meddling in their affairs."

Anakin's mood darkened. " The Chancellor is a good man. The Jedi Council knows that."

" Do they?" Luke raised his eyebrows infuriatingly. " Or maybe the better question is, do you?" He cocked a smile, such that his teeth flashed in a twinkle. Anakin found himself unable to reply for a moment.

" You don't know anything." Anakin said sourly. Luke was a kid. He was confusing Anakin again, pretending to be some kind of prophet when he was just a teenager. " You are just messing with me. The issue of Masters has not come up yet, nor has the issue of placement in the Council."

" I know." Luke wryly. " He was late on schedule. Wish I hadn't pulled down his pants. Who knew that a simple prank would delay things so far."

This comment confounded Anakin, who decided not to comment further. They arrived in the kitchens, where both got their food and sat across each other to eat. At this time, there were only several padawans sitting across the room, chatting quietly to each other. After a while, Anakin managed to calm himself down enough to consider more pressing matters. Despite the fact that he had just told himself that Luke was but a child, he could not help but ask Luke, in a hushed voice, " Do _you _know of a way to save Padme?"

The teen seemed to take a huge bite in order to avoid talking. He chewed thoughtfully. " Well," He replied in an equally quiet voice, " Here's the thing. When it comes to changing fates and destinies, knowing part of it is worse than knowing nothing. For example, you dream of your mother getting tortured," He waved his fork, " But you don't actually know how she dies. You assume that it's the torture that caused her to die."

Anakin blinked, feeling something clamp over his stomach. He felt some emotion brimming, ready to flare. Was it anger? Fear? He was not sure. " She did die." He said. " She was weak from what they did to her."

" Uh huh." Luke waved his fork. " But that's not how she died."

" Luke…I was there."

" I know."

" She died in my arms."

" I know."

Anakin felt anger blossom then. " You have no idea what you are talking about!"

" I do _so _know what I'm talking about." Luke protested. " Your mother didn't die because of anything the _Tuskens _did, as much as _you'd _like to believe it."

" Then how did she die?"

" Heart attack." Luke took another bite. " Too much of anything is a bad thing." He said between chews. " Too much of a good thing is a bad thing. After all the fear and pain and loneliness and despair, all of the sudden, her son is there. A dream? No." He swallowed. " Her Ani was real. It was a miracle beyond imagination! This is unbelievable!" He suddenly punched his chest with a free hand. " Shock! Ecstasy! Ooh! That's too much. Heart stops. Well, she's complete, so no point in going on." He swallowed again. " Though, if you ask me, dying of joy is really the best way to go. It sure is better than dying of grief."

Anakin's mind went blank at the implications. A horror crept into his heart like a cold serpent. " You're saying…you're saying she died because of me."

" Yes and no." Luke tilted his head back and forth. " I mean, the abuse definitely played a part. If she weren't so weak she might have handled it better. But certainly, if you didn't shock her so, she might have lived long enough to be saved by someone else. You acted on incomplete information—which was _exactly _what was wanted of you."

The Jedi felt like his world was falling apart. He was holding his mother again, cradling her, desperate for her to breath again, for her to open her eyes. She was so weak, in so much pain. _I had failed you, Mother…_

" But it wasn't your fault." Said Luke. " After a decade or so of relative peace, it sure seems a bit odd that all of the sudden the they decided to kidnap her. The Force works in mysterious ways, sometimes because, well, it's a flow of energy without mind or sentience and therefore doesn't follow the same laws of reason we do, but also because it is also being influenced by a whole bunch of crazy people, including Force-sensitives, Jedi, and the Sith, who are all twisting events to their own nutty desires." Luke bobbed his head up and down. " You should realize, 'old one', that just as you are capable of _receiving _visions, others may be capable of _projecting _them. Or in this case, sending the Tuskens to kidnap your mother and beat her to an inch of her life so that you may give in to rage for the first time and slaughter the whole village." He reached up with his hand to rub his temple, as if he had developed a headache.

" Are you saying that someone kidnapped her, and sent me to her, on purpose?" Anakin asked. The coldness in his stomach lingered, uncomfortably, and he held his breath as he waited for Luke's answer.

Infuriatingly, the boy replied, " I'm not a prophet!" He chuckled. " I was only pretending to be one! But it sure does give some food for thought eh? Eat your meal, Chum-chum. You're a growing man."

Anakin reclined back, ignoring Luke's suggestion. The boy was right. What he said did make sense. And for all the child's protestations of not actually being a prophet, he did know enough details that he should not, _could _not possibly know. No one, not even the Jedi, knew about what Anakin did. Except Padme—

" Youngest member of the Council." Luke murmured, sounding distracted.

" What?"

" Oh," Luke shrugged. " Well, you'll know yourself, soon enough."

" Huh?"

" Knight Skywalker," A Jedi Knight interrupted them, " The Council wishes to see the boy." Ferus Olin, another Jedi Knight, stood next to him. He was a rather handsome brunette with a solemn countenance. A very conservative Jedi ever since his padawan days, he always followed rules and traditions, which on more than one mission caused a lot of inconvenience for the more free-spirited Anakin. When they had to work together, they did not make a good pair, and would often quarrel over the best tactic, with Ferus opting for the safer, more law-abiding route, while Anakin, who thought Ferus was a brainless lackey, would argue for flexibility and adaptation to circumstances. However, back at the temple, while they were not best friends, the two were very civil with each other, respecting each other's abilities as a Jedi and each other's innate goodness. Now, Ferus appeared to appraise the boy, looking back and forth between Anakin and Luke, as if noticing something about the two.

" Oh great," Luke sighed. For all his quips, he seemed reluctant to deal with explanations about General Grievous. He took a last bite of his dinner, before pushing the tray for Anakin to deal with. With a huff, Anakin stood up to dispose of the tray's contents, as Luke exclaimed about how full he was and how he really did not want to see the Jedi Masters.

" Seriously! I kill General Grievous, and they still treat it like I did something wrong. Do they ever just let things lie and leave things well alone?"

Anakin's senses suddenly told him to duck. When he straightened, he realized that Luke had used the Force to whip another piece of fruit to him, and the object's trajectory would have slammed the thing right into Anakin's head had the Jedi not ducked. Luke chortled and skipped off with the other Jedi Knight, while Ferus Olin cocked an eyebrow.

" For crying out loud," Anakin snapped, stomping over to the hall where Luke and the Jedi were retreating, " That insolent rascal! Even I was never that irritating!"

Ferus, who had followed him to the hall, scratched his nose as he ducked his head. Anakin stared at him for a minute. Ferus always scratches his nose when he had something to say, but felt he should not say it. In this case, Anakin was fairly certain what his more conservative colleague was thinking.

" What?" The blonde man demanded.

" Hm?"

" You have something to say?"

" I did not say anything."

" I didn't say you were saying something. I said you _had _something to say. Out with it."

Ferus let out a disbelieving laugh. " Knight Skywalker, I have nothing to say." He scratched his nose absentmindedly.

" You think I'm a fool?" Anakin asked in mock anger. He was not really upset at this point. Any reason to torment his ever-so-perfect colleague was good enough for him.

" No, Anakin."

" I will put you in a headlock!"

" I swear, I have nothing to say—"

Anakin wasted no time grabbing Ferus's head and wrapping it in a headlock. Ferus started laughing.

" You rascal! You think I'm like Luke don't you? You're delighting at my expense aren't you? Finally satisfied that I met my match? You're laughing at me aren't you? Aren't you?"

Ferus was laughing too hard to respond. The two full-grown men struggled for a few seconds in the hall, slamming into walls, until Ferus managed to free himself from the lock. Then the pair engaged in a light spar, slapping at each other and shoving each other lightly back and forth. This continued on for a few minutes, before Anakin managed to grab Ferus in a headlock again. They struggled once more, until Ferus swung Anakin around—straight into Master Windu. Anakin started, instantly letting go of Ferus, who snapped to attention, smoothing out his disheveled hair and casting his eyes downwards.

" Master Windu," The two knights chorused.

It was hard for Anakin to discern whether the Jedi Master was displeased or amused at the notion of two adult Jedi behaving so immaturely. He looked sternly at both of them, but did not speak. After a moment, he walked past. The two waited until he was out of sight and hearing.

Then Anakin swiped at Ferus to grab him in a headlock again. Ferus ducked and started running.

" Oh no you're not!" Anakin hissed, running after him. " You think you can get away from me? Get back here!" Sometime later he might take the time to consider that he, a man of twenty-two years old, had engaged in a childish chase of a fellow knight he normally detested working with. They frequently had to stop the chase when other Jedi passed by, especially the younglings and the padawans and the Masters, but once the coast was clear, Ferus would start fleeing again, and Anakin would instantly pursue him.

Unfortunately, the chase led them straight into Master Yoda.

" You son of a—" Anakin broke off, nearly ramming into Ferus, who had pulled into a halt.

" Master Yoda," The two Knights greeted sheepishly.

" Young Skywalker," Yoda inclined his head at the two after a moment, deciding, perhaps, that their activity was not worthy of acknowledgment, " The Council wishes to speak with you."

" Yes Master." Anakin bowed. Ferus snuck a side glance at him as Yoda went away, and to Anakin's exasperation, he scratched his nose _again_. He shoved the other Jedi, who in a rare moment of good spirits simply grinned at him. " I'm getting you for this!" Anakin hissed.

Ferus just chuckled.

Anakin broke into a grin as well, and departed to meet the Council. He was in such high spirits that he was not even worried about what the Council wanted with him until he got there, and sensed the solemn atmosphere that always seemed to permeate the room whenever the Council was in session.

" Anakin," Master Windu said once Anakin arrived, " The Chancellor has requested that we extend to you a seat in the Council, as well as extend the title of Master."

Anakin was floored. _What?!_ His mind instantly went back to Luke and the remarks the boy had made. " Oh…" He trailed off, hardly able to believe what was happening right now.

" You understand, I hope," Yoda said from his seat, " That take this decision lightly, the Council does not."

Anakin could barely find the voice to reply, " Y-Yes Master Yoda." _What in the galaxy?_

" Decided to appoint you as Council member, we have." Yoda went on. " However, grant you the title of Master, we will not."

Anakin was too stunned to be angry. _Try to consider from their point of view, _he remembered Luke's advice. Considering the boy had been right about everything else, he decided he better listen to this bit of counsel.

" Well why not?" He blurted out. When the Council members simply looked at him, he went on, " It's just…no one has ever been a Council Member…without being granted the title of Master."

" The Chancellor has been acting suspicious of late." Said another Jedi Master. " He has not promised to relinquish his emergency powers. We feel it is not wise, at this time, to grant you the title of Master at his request. It places too much power in his hands, and sets a bad precedent for future appointments."

" How?" Anakin asked.

" The Jedi Council has never been under the influence of the Republic Senate." Said another Jedi Master. " It would not be wise to begin at this time. We have allowed you the seat in the Council at his request, which is an honor in itself. However, our appointment is not due to his recommendation. You have proven yourself, Anakin Skywalker. Our decision was made independently of the Chancellor. However, if we grant you the title of Master, this will set a bad example. Surely you understand this, Anakin."

_It has nothing to do with their faith in me,_ Anakin realized, _It has to do with appearances. And in the long run, they are right. They need to maintain the integrity of the Order. I am young. I am in no hurry to become Master. A seat in the Council is a great honor in itself._

Holy Force, Luke had been right.

" I am honored, Masters." Anakin bowed. He truly was.

Obi-Wan, who was standing beside him, clapped him on the shoulder. He could sense his master's pride in him. Obi-Wan then pushed Anakin gently toward the empty seat. Anakin numbly went. After he sat down, the Council discussed ways of keeping the Chancellor under observation. He was a little irked that they still suspected Palpatine, but agreed to it with far less indignation than he otherwise would have. His mind was too distracted by the fact that Luke had predicted all of this before…before any of this even happened yet!

Once the Council dispersed, he searched the temple grounds to confront the boy. Luke was nowhere to be found, and none of the padawans knew where he went. They were all restless though; apparently one of the padawans lost something, and everyone, including the younglings, were running around the residence buildings searching for something. Too distracted, Anakin left without asking anyone what they were doing, in order to continue looking for Luke.

His searching led him to Padme, however.

" Anakin!" His wife exclaimed when she saw him. " You look stressed—are you alright? What have you been doing?"

Anakin looked around. They were alone in the halls. " You should not be here, Padme." He said to her.

" I was waiting for you." Padme looked hurt. " We did not even get a chance to speak since your return."

_Oh Force, he could not deal with this now. _" Padme," He said gently to her, " The boy I was with—Luke—he _knows_ things—impossible things! I have to find him right now. You must go home. I will join you later."

" Luke?" Padme blinked. "What do you mean, he knows impossible things?" Her face paled then. " You mean—"

" That is not even the part I am most worried about." Anakin checked his surroundings again to make sure no one was around. He told her about Luke's accurate predictions up till now.

" He is only a fifteen-year-old boy!" Padme exclaimed.

" The Force brought him here for a reason, he claimed. I need to know what that reason is. Go home, I will join you shortly. I might even bring him along."

" Do you think you can?" Padme asked doubtfully. " From what Obi-Wan had described, Luke's Force abilities might surpass yours. They might even surpass Yoda's!"

Anakin paused at this. What if the boy _did _put up a fight? Padme was right. Anakin might not be a match for him.

Yet based on his prior interactions with the child, perhaps Anakin would not have to resort to such extremes. If only he could _find _that blasted brat!

" Knight Skywalker!" A Jedi called. Anakin snapped his head around to address this interruption. " Knight Skywalker," The Jedi ran up to the pair and produced a slip of paper, " The Chancellor has been kidnapped. You should take a look at this."

Anakin took the slip. He had to read it twice before the words registered in his mind. Beside him, Padme gasped.

_Hand over the boy from Tatooine. Or the Chancellor dies._


	7. Chapter 7

Turns of Fate

Chapter 7

_It is official. The Emperor is a moron. _Luke told Leia as he darted through the Coruscant streets. Night had fallen on this side of the planet, and the streets were dim, only illuminated by the streetlamps. He would rather be in that tiny room at the Temple, but new problems have arisen. He dearly wished he had some kind of ship to pilot, because the neighborhood was not friendly at all. _He is totally ruining my plans._

_You were not doing a good job at all. _Leia said dryly. _You cannot deny that you were also hoping that our father would snap to his senses, sparing us the life we lead now._

_Yeah, that too._ Luke replied. _But as I said, there must be a reason why I'm here. Sure, I can try to force Dad to the Dark Side myself by frustrating him with cryptic comments, _He projected the image of their father, getting increasingly desperate about their mother's wellbeing thanks to Luke's dark hints and lack of sympathy, and then the image of Vader going nuts at the Jedi Temple, spinning his lightsaber the way General Grievous's rotating joints would, and blowing everything up, with wide glaring yellow eyes and new fangs to boot. Leia's reaction was flat and dry. She was not impressed with Luke's imagination. _But if Dad somehow 'sees the Light', I'm not going to complain. _Luke added.

This really sucks. After the Council questioned him (not that they got anything out of Luke except flippant comments about their appearances, and a flat remark about the possibility that maybe he was _just that powerful, you never know) _Luke decided to start working. First of all, despite his remarks to the Chancellor, Palpatine did need a quicker reason to hold on to his emergency powers than Luke thought the guy could whip planned on presenting such an excuse: directly after meeting with the Masters, Luke fled the Temple to go to the Chancellor's office, though first he stole a mask from an unfortunate merchant and some black tunic and pants from an unfortunate padawan.

His plan was simple. Beat the Chancellor to an inch of his life–not only will this alarm the galaxy and make them aware that there was someone who could kick some serious rear ends out there, but also make the Chancellor panicky enough that he might hurry up on the converting Luke's father to the Dark Side plot. This plan also doubles as another way for Luke to mess with Palpatine in revenge and give the old corpse his own two credits in advance. What could be more satisfying than pulling Palpatine's pants down? Beating the living daylights out of him! This idea was the best Luke has had for...years!

But of course, Palpatine is good at nothing if not foiling other people's plans, and when Luke did reach the building where the Chancellor worked, he was just in time to see the Chancellor order someone to write a note, before leaving the room to be "shipped off" somewhere, but not early enough to actually stop the old man.

This was, of course, not something that happened in the original timeline. Which is bad. Not only that, the Chancellor's move did not make any sense. Oh, the kidnapping was easily explained. Who knew the Chancellor could whip up something so fast. But the conditions of the letter were hardly logical. No one would trade a Chancellor of the Republic for a Tatooinian farmboy; if anything, it would be the other way around. What kind of Sith Lord would do something so retarded? The Jedi would instantly become suspicious about the true identity of Palpatine's captor.

Leia sighed. _Well, no doubt, he has branded you as a threat. A threat he could not control. So he got desperate. If we do anything, we have only six weeks to do it. __Six weeks, Luke, before everything here gets undone. Or at least, you and me._

_Yeah, I know the stakes._ Luke stopped in his tracks. He was being followed. _Stupid thugs. Leia, do you have any information about Palpatine's kidnapping after General Grievous?_

_I can check. _Leia answered dubiously. _I don't know if your timeline will update to mine. Give me a second to look it up. Hopefully no one suspects me._

Luke released a breath. In the meantime, if the thugs decide to mug him, he could use this brief period to take a break.

Leia's voice was distracted, as she looked up the event. _I have a news article on the Chancellor's kidnapping, but I have no other articles. I suspect it is because this event is new and has not been resolved yet. Oh, it says he was taken to Mustafar. That's convenient.  
_

_Awesome._ Luke thought back. _This means I get to write my own history. And if the Chancellor is on Mustafar, all I have to do is somehow get Mom there so she can get choked by Dad. Or maybe just choked by someone, I don't know. Who cares? As long as we are born at the right time, right?_

_You can't have our mother get choked _now_! You might kill the two of us! Six weeks, remember? Weeks! Not six hours!_

_Drat._ Luke paused. _Hold on._

The thugs were advancing on him. There were ten of them, dressed in rags, their beady little eyes peering from an ugly sneer. None of them were human, and at least one of them reeked of excrement. At first, Luke prepared for a physical fight, but he first used Force suggestion out of habit. " You do not want trouble with me."

There were actually very few individuals who could resist Luke's force suggestion, so he was not sure why he had doubted himself. " We do not want trouble with you." The five thugs chorused.

" You will forget you saw me."

" We never saw you."

" Have a good night!"

" We will have a good night."

The thugs walked past. Luke stared after them for a moment.

_Are you alright?_

_Yeah I'm fine, Leia._ Luke took a deep breath. As he relaxed, he realized just how exhausted he was. Despite the sleep he had on the ship back from Utapau, Luke felt sore and tired. _Well,_ he wondered, _What am I supposed to do now? Just leave things alone?_

_I doubt it. _Leia replied. _This isn't something that was supposed to happen. By this time, Palpatine should be secure in our father's allegiances. " Hi Father!"_

Luke blinked, as Leia projected what she was seeing to him through their bond. Her adoptive father, Bail Organa, King and Senator of Alderaan, had just entered the room to check on his daughter.

_" Leia, what in the galaxy are you doing?"_

_" Just reading some random articles on the holonet, Father."_

Bail seemed to stoop over to look at what Leia was reading.

Oh. Not good. Not good not good not good. Leia had the infuriating inability to keep things from her parents. _Leia! Don't tell him I'm in the past don't tell him I'm in the past don't tell him I'm—_

_" What are you reading these things for, Leia? Is this for your lessons?"_

_" This is for Luke, Father."_

_Sith! Leia! What the heck!_

_" What does Luke need information on this for?"_

_" He just wanted to know exactly what happened."_

Bail appeared displeased. _" If you two are up to something, at least let me know what you are planning."_

_Leia!_

_" He had a vision about this event, that was all." _

_" Why did you not meditate on it then, the way you usually do? It is a lot safer that way."_

_" He was not feeling well." _Leia closed the holobrowser. _" Did you need anything?"_

_" Lord Vader notified us of his impending arrival. He will be here within the matter of minutes. You should go prepare."_

_Kreth! What does Vader want on Alderaan at this time?_

Leia was not sure either. _" Alright." _She said to Bail. _I'm not stupid Luke!_ She then thought with annoyance. _It looks like I will not be able to help you from here, but remember, six weeks! Do not go sending Mother to Mustafar! And if you are going to antagonize people where you are, make sure you also direct them toward the original timeline!_ _More importantly, don't do anything stupid! _She shut the connection, leaving Luke on his own.

_I object!_ Luke thought anyway. _I never do anything stupid!_

She did not hear this, of course, and Luke looked around the alleys. If he did not have his Force abilities, he would be much more nervous about wandering around here all alone. He was not afraid now, but it had been a comfort knowing his sister was there. Seriously, why does she need to cut off the connection now? It was not as if she was concentrating on anything important; Darth Vader was not even at Alderaan yet! _Yoohoo! Why did you have to go and shut down on me like that? I'm in the middle of a street, for Force's sake!_

But then something completely unexpected occurred. A Force presence flared in his mind in response to his call.

_Luke?_ His father's voice sounded wary. _Is that you?_

Oh _Sithspit!_ How did _that _happen? Letting out a string of curses, Luke considered keeping silent. Hopefully, his father would believe it had just been his imagination.

_Luke!_ No such luck. _I know it was you! Tell me where you are!_

_Why?!_ Luke snapped back, hoping that his father's next question was not something along the lines of ' How am I able to hear your thoughts?' because then his father might connect the dots. Luke 'S'. Force, was he on crack back on the ship! Desperate for anything to distract his father from forming that logical conclusion, he went on to bite, _So you can exchange me for your precious Chancellor?_

A wave of utter shock went his way. That, apparently, had not been his father's intention at all. Luke had not thought so either, but once he voiced the suggestion, it suddenly seemed rather probable…until his father felt that utter shock. _Exchange you? What do you think I am, a Sith? _And then, _You _know _about this? Oh of course you do! You seem to know everything!_ A pause. _Of course I am not exchanging you for anyone. I _am _going to keep my promise of killing you if you do not come back to the Temple _right now_!_

_I have work to do. No can do._ Luke thought stubbornly. _Though I need to figure out where I am first…_This he thought to himself.

_Luke, _please _come back. I am serious! Coruscant is not safe, no matter how powerful you think you are! The Sith are obviously aware of your presence here. You are in danger, and you might also hurt other people with your stunts!_

His father was sort of right about that. Luke scowled. There was also the matter of that pure desperation in his father's voice, like the man hardly knew what to do if something happened to Luke. Which made sense, since he was Luke's father, but also did not, because he did not know Luke was his son. _Why do you care so much about me anyway? You barely know me!_

_Well whose fault was that?_ His father retorted angrily. _You seem to know a great deal about _me_! But when _I _ask the questions, all you give me are cryptic answers! You are even worse than Master Yoda!_

_Oh no you did not!_ Luke snapped back, though part of him felt like he was arguing with...himself. Force, this was like back at the Temple when he first learned that he apparently inherited his father's wit. It felt surreal. _I am _so _better than Yoda! I told you what happened to your mother, didn't I? Try weaseling _that _out of the green goblin!_

A ship suddenly sailed overhead. Luke snapped his head up to look. Though he did not recognize the ship, something told him that his mother was inside. With that thought, Luke took off at a brisk run. There was no way he could run as fast as the ship was, but he had latched on to his mother's presence in his consciousness, and that guided him down the shady streets and helped him navigate through the winding roads.

His father proved to have more intelligence than Luke had given him credit for, for the next thing Luke heard was, _Force! It is as if I am arguing with Padme!_ A stunned silence followed that remark.

Uh oh. If the Force was willing, his father might start sensing the truth. _Really? Padme argues with you? For someone who's had practice, you suck at it. Who told you to marry a politician? They're like, born to argue. _And unfortunately, this also explained why he rarely wins an argument with Leia. _How come I got Mom's height but not her wit? Leia got both. This is so unfair!_

_Yes, yes, _his father replied impatiently to Luke's earlier comments, _I've heard that from her more times than I can count._ Another stunned silence.

_Crud._ Luke thought. He was not being smooth. He better shut up now before he offered his father more evidence of his relation with Padme Naberrie, or himself. _Stupid._

His father began a string of pleas. What troubled Luke was how much genuine concern his father was actually feeling. He even went so far as to offer to show Luke around the best diners in the galaxy if only Luke would return to the Temple, which, while absolutely hilarious, was a very touching gesture. Luke managed to hold his own for a while, but after a while it became a bit much. His own father was pleading with him to look after himself. Granted, his father did not know he was his father, but still, there was something very wrong about the situation here.

_Alright! Alright, I'm coming back, alright? For Force's sake I just killed a Sith-trained robot in like, ten seconds and you're actually worried about me going around the city! I'm fifteen, not five! Just give me a second to get to a nice level so I can figure out the best route. Mother of a bantha, even my Uncle isn't this annoying!_

His father was annoyed too. _Well, I apologize for caring at all about your wellbeing, impertinent one! _Luke was suddenly faced with the strange revelation that he had just hurt his father's feelings.

Well, nothing to be done about it now, and given Luke's ultimate task at hand, it was much better off that he maintain the emotional distance from his father, before the task becomes impossible and Luke ends up destroying the galaxy for good.

He jumped on to the buildings and heaved himself up to the top. He arrived at the building complex where Padme's apartment was. Once there, however, he was stumped with a question he should have asked himself before he even made the trip. _What was I planning to do here?_

Well, he was definitely here to check on his mother, but it seemed like she was perfectly fine. _She is so beautiful._ Luke thought again. One thing was for sure; he could understand why his father was willing to give up the whole galaxy, just for her. He sensed her movements now in the apartment. He also sensed himself, and Leia, which was very strange. Out of curiosity, he stretched his mind out to the younger version of himself. He instantly realized that the child was braindead.

_Oh._ Luke thought. This puts additional pressure on getting back to his own time. Since the baby was Luke, but Luke is here, only one of Luke's conscience could exist at a time, so he had effectively taken his infant self's. If he does not get back, this version of Luke, and hence himself, would probably die. _Awesome stuff._

The Coruscant winds blew at his tunic and he shivered. It sure gets cold at night here! The planes flying past went on their merry way, none of the passengers noticing the teen standing on the apartment building rooftop. Luke quickly recounted his options. Palpatine is pulling some odd trick in order to get Luke. No doubt, he was going to feed his father some lie or another about Luke being the one to kill Padme. Or maybe, by killing Luke, his father could somehow save his mother. He had six weeks to make sure things happen at the right time. _I can go to Yoda._ He thought. _But somehow I doubt Yoda would be willing to aid in the downfall of the Jedi. _The same went for Ben. He could go to Palpatine, who would not hesitate to create an Empire under his rule. _Ugh. Not in a million years. _He could go to his mother.

_…That's a thought._ Padme Naberrie had been a passive player in his own timeline. An inspiration, someone who never actually had a hand in anything that transpired, and yet was crucial to everything. With Palpatine acting strange, Luke in the middle of things, it might be wise to invoke some influence from a completely brand new source.

_But how? _There was a reason why his mother had only had a passive hand in everything. She was far too smart to actually get into such messes, and most of the chaos and disasters that happened were because she had remained ignorant until the very end. Luke could not tell her what will happen—it will prevent her from dying at the right time. He could find some way to manipulate her into pushing their father to the Dark Side…that was probably something more along Leia's line of expertise than Luke's, though. _Time travel blows._ Luke decided. Cryptic comments would drive his father crazy, but for someone of his mother's intelligence, she might actually figure things out!

_Oh hm, maybe that is the right tactic. She has to figure some things out, after all._ As Luke mused, he suddenly saw a dark-clad individual scamper up the outside of building…toward his mother's apartment.

_Oh no you don't!_ Luke thought, irritated. _Mom is _not _supposed to die yet!_ He jumped down to a lower roof and landed silently. He was still above the figure, who was pausing every once in a while to check he had not been spotted. With the quick traffic at the level where they were, it was unlikely anyone would pay attention even if they did notice him. Luke counted the windows, noted which one his mother's was, and ran for the door that led into the building. What the heck? Was that guy trying to kill his mother?

_Palpatine would try to kidnap her._ Padme was too important for Palpatine to kill right now. Not when he wanted to have Anakin as his apprentice. He needed her alive, and well, until Anakin Skywalker fully turns.

_Well not on my watch, buster!_ Luke pulled his lips back and snarled as he ran. He pulled at the door. It was locked. No problem; with a bit of the Force, he unlocked the door and yanked it open. Inside, the stairways were brightly lit. Luke sprinted down, jumping and running. He latched on to his mother's presence and the presence of the unborn twins. His mother's apartment door was closed, shut, against the hall. Luke rang the doorbell and banged on it.

His mother answered the door after a few bangs. " Luke—?"

Luke brushed inside without preamble. The man was already in the flat! He sure works fast, no wonder Palpatine hired him. The boy rushed into the bedroom where he was hiding. With a Force pull, he yanked the man out to the open. His mother gasped when she saw. The man, finding his footing, yanked out his blaster and fired. They were set on stun, proving Luke's earlier suspicion that Palpatine did not want to kill his mother yet. Luke pushed his mother down, knocking her onto her back. One of the stunbolts whizzed past his ear. That was close! He charged at the man, swinging his fists and kicking. The man was a trained fighter, and also physically stronger than Luke, so at first they were evenly matched. Add to the fact that Luke had to constantly dodge stun bolts, the battle went on longer than Luke would have preferred.

He could just kill the man, but Luke had some questions first. He flipped over the man and flung his hand out. He sent out a Force wave, knocking the man back. Twist, shove, and the man was taken care of. He was wearing a black mask over his face, and Luke pressed his foot down on the man's hands, pulled back and up to his shoulder blades. The man heaved under him, grunting in pain. Luke smirked. He looked up at his mother.

" Hey, how about calling for some help here?"

" I somehow doubt you need help."

" Well, it would be nice to have a pair of handcuffs. Which I don't have."

His mother nodded. She looked pale and startled. Her hands circled her belly protectively.

" Well, my friend!" Luke bent over his prisoner with a grin. " Why sent you here? Tell me the truth." He used a bit of Force persuasion as he spoke.

" D-Darth Sidious did, sir!"

_Oh Palpatine. Seriously! _" Why did he send you to attack Senator Amidala?"

" My orders were to take her unharmed, sir!"

" Oh that is comforting, indeed! Tell me, why does he want you to take her unharmed?"

" I don't know! I just get paid for the job, that's all!"

" Well, where were you supposed to bring her? Is it Mustafar?"

Shock, and silence. It was all Luke needed to know. He levitated the stun blaster and shot the man, stepping off him. He then turned to his mother, who was calling on her com link.

Hurray. More questions.


	8. Chapter 8

Turns of Fate

Chapter 8

There was a lot of media excitement at Padme's apartment when Anakin and Master Windu arrived. Luke was, oddly enough, dressed as a padawan. The outfit was obviously a bit too big for him. Mace Windu looked at him reproachfully.

" Where did you get your change of wardrobe?"

Luke glanced down before grinning. " I borrowed it. Don't worry. I'll give it back; this thing's stiff and uncomfortable. I like my Tatooine clothes."

" It might have to do with the fact that it does not fit you very well." Anakin observed.

Luke appeared to consider that. " Eh. It works, for the time being." Master Windu muttered under his breath about talking to the padawans about lending Jedi uniforms out to strangers. " Anyway, the guy claimed he wanted to take Amidala to Darth Sidious. Hey can I go now? Like, I've been here for an hour already and I'm really beat." The boy gestured at the officers who were now interrogating Padme.

" This would not have happened if you had stayed at the temple."

" ...Right, so you'd prefer if the lovely Senator got kidnapped?"

Master Windu patted Luke on the shoulder. " Your tendencies are very unorthodox, young one, but as it stands, you have our gratitude, once again. However, I must ask how you knew the Senator was in danger."

" I didn't." Luke replied. " I was going to knock Palpatine around a little bit, but he went and got himself kidnapped, so I decided to wander around Coruscant. The Temple's really boring. You make up all the excitement in the rest of the galaxy by having the dullest time at the temple."

" And you saw the intruder approach the Senator's window?" Master Windu asked, ignoring Luke's comments.

" Yeah?"

" How did you get here before him?" Anakin asked.

" Oh, he was going from ground up. I was going from the roof down. Besides, I don't think he's Force sensitive" Luke cocked his head. " Which is kind of weird. Sith lord must be losing his marbles all over the place lately."

" You were on the roof?"

" That's how I travel!"

Master Windu turned to Anakin. " Anakin, please take Luke back to the Temple. I will continue to handle things here."

" Yes, Master Windu." Anakin bowed. He wanted dearly to stay with his wife, to make sure she was alright, but appearances must be kept.

" Can I fly?" Luke asked.

" No." Anakin tugged Luke forward. He was still smarting from Luke's earlier attitude, though the fact that Luke saved Padme made it hard to hold the grudge. Still, Anakin wished Luke had been more forthcoming about his activities. With a demand for trading the boy out there, it was really not safe for the teen to be wandering around on his own, power or not, and the boy's ingratitude served to make Anakin almost stop caring at all about his welfare.

Once they got on the ship, with Luke muttering about always being underestimated, Anakin began the flight across the city. As the buildings zipped past, Anakin considered how, if Luke had not been the wild, unruly child that he was, the Jedi would not have the luxury of being upset at Luke's childishness.

" I suppose I should thank you personally, for saving Padme." Anakin turned to Luke. The boy had fallen asleep however, his features betraying how exhausted he really was.

_Force. However annoying he could be, he is just a child._ Anakin thought wistfully back to how irritated _he _often became whenever others underestimated him. It made him feel like a hypocrite, but he could not help it. This potential distant cousin meant something to him, whether Anakin liked it or not, and besides, he was already in the boy's debt now. He shuddered as he thought about what might have happened to Padme if Luke had not been there. _I owe him more than he might know. _Anakin thought. This realization made him more determined than ever to keep an eye on the boy. _He may not know it, but this confidence he has is dangerous, no matter how powerful he actually is. _Anakin will be his ally, whether Luke accepts it or not. He will do his best to keep Luke out of trouble, both with the world and with the Jedi Council. It was the least he could do.

_You should take him as your padawan._

Anakin smiled a little. At this point, perhaps the student would be the teacher. There was much about Luke he did not know. But Anakin was older, and had more experience as an actual Jedi. There is more to being a Jedi Knight than Force tricks. He noted that Luke did not seem to have a lightsaber. Did Luke even learn how to wield one? With his unorthodox training, one never knew. Either way, Anakin was sure there were things he could offer to this boy. Just as Luke had offered Anakin so much–had already _given _both Anakin and Padme so much.

They arrived. Anakin turned off the engines and reclined back, contemplating Luke's sleeping form. He was oddly reluctant to wake the boy.

" Luke," Anakin shook the teen's shoulder, " Wake up, we're here."

Luke was out cold.

Anakin suddenly smirked, an evil idea forming in his mind. Luke seemed to pride himself in self-sufficiency, kind of like Anakin. And if he was anything like Anakin, there were few things that would rankle the boy more than if he were carried to his room like a baby. The teen had started snoring; he was so tired that Anakin felt sleepy just staring at him. With some careful adjustment of the Force, he could carry Luke to the residence halls and the boy would not be the wiser.

_Oh hohoho, I need to wake up early tomorrow to see his face when he realizes he was carried like an infant. _Grinning devilishly, Anakin got out of the ship and circled around to the other side. Luke's snoring did not even falter as the Jedi unbuckled the seat restraints and lifted him.

The padawans were preparing for bed as Luke entered the residence building, though a few of them were in the lounge playing board games. One of them, a red-headed young man of about sixteen, with freckles all over his face, looked up to greet Anakin once he entered, but froze when he saw his burden.

" Those are my clothes!" He cried. Loudly. " What the heck!"

Anakin raised his eyebrows, looking down at Luke's still-sleeping form. He was still snoring.

" Are you sure?" Asked the other padawans.

" Yes!" The redhead rose and stomped over. " I remember that stitch in the sleeve! It's the new kid–" He threw up his hands, " It figures that he would be the one. He's the only one who doesn't have a set of his own!"

" What are you saying?" Anakin asked, as the padawan growled, looking dismayed, while the other padawans started laughing. He recognized the young man; he was Ferus Olin's padawan, and as boring as his master." Are you saying you did not give this to him voluntarily?"

" Give him voluntarily!" The padawan exclaimed, " This nut stole them! While I was in the shower!" The other padawans exploded into even more laughter, as the other boy fumed, " He came into the refresher when I was showering and just took them! When I came out they were just gone! I was searching for them everywhere in my towel!"

Oh, that would have been a sight, Anakin decided, as he tried to find words to say. It explained why the padawans had been so restless earlier that evening, when he had been looking for Luke. _What did I expect? This is _Luke _we are talking about. _Luke is the only youngster around here who would do something so mischievous.

" Why the blazes would anyone around here steal a padawan uniform?" The said padawan was currently wearing only pajamas, undoubtedly because at this point, he had little else to wear. The other padawans continued to chortle. " When someone is showering, no less!"

Luke had finally woken up. He blinked once at Anakin's face, before realizing his position. " Oh _kreth!_" He yelled, wriggling in Anakin's arms, " Put me down put me down put me down!"

" You stole my uniform!" The padawan accused him.

Luke suddenly stared at the other boy. " Oh. You're the one in the shower." Then, " Put me down put me down put me down! Why the heck are you carrying me?! You couldn't have just woken me up?!" His face was growing increasingly red by the second, much to Anakin's amusement.

The Jedi set Luke down. " I think you have some explaining to do."

" That is right!" The redhead exclaimed. " What kind of sick person sneaks into a person's shower?"

" I didn't sneak into your shower," Luke corrected, " I 'snuck' into your refresher while you were showering. You should have locked the door behind you, anyway. Besides, how else was I supposed to steal a padawan uniform?" He turned to Anakin. " Why didn't you just wake me?" He made a disgruntled face.

Anakin chuckled to himself, unreasonably delighted by the sight. Luke had turned bright red, and his Force presence exerted such embarrassment he wanted to tickle the boy to make it worse. _Force, you are a poor excuse of a Knight, _He thought to himself, _Taking such pleasure at tormenting a Padawan when you are a fully-fledged Knight. _After all that Luke put the Jedi through, however, he really could not resist. " Well I tried to, but you refused. What else was I supposed to do?"

" Why would I lock the door when I'm showering? It is pretty obvious that someone is showering inside! The doors are not exactly soundproof!" The redhead retorted, ignoring Luke's embarrassment in favor of his own. " And why would you want to steal a padawan uniform?"

" I needed to change and didn't have anything else. You could have tried harder!" Luke exclaimed back at Anakin.

" Well give it back!" The redhead cried, once again ignoring Luke's conversation with Anakin.

" Will do." Luke guffawed, as his attention was finally turned away. " They don't fit all that well anyway. Were you running around naked?"

" Luke is new from the Outer Rim," Anakin intervened before the padawans could get in a brawl, " So if anyone has a spare pair of pajamas, I am certain he would appreciate that."

" I have a pair that might fit." A padawan who was still sitting near the board game generously offered. He got up to retrieve it.

Luke, apparently deciding that he did step out of line, said to the padawan, " Look, I'm sorry I put you on the spot. Next time, if I'm in the shower, you can steal my stuff. How does that sound?"

" I don't want your stuff." The padawan grimaced in distaste. " I don't know what kind of game you're playing, that you'd need to steal mine." Then his features smoothed out as he impressively controlled his anger. " But I will take that, as long as you don't do it again."

Luke bowed as he grinned. " Promise I won't."

The padawan then smiled. " I am Terin Oller."

Luke looked uncomfortable. " Just call me Luke." He said. " Don't feel offended. No one around here knows my last name."

Terin scowled at him. " You are very strange."

" Thanks!"

" His last name starts with an 'S'." Anakin grinned as Luke scowled at him. " Work hard enough and maybe you will get the rest of the letters."

Terin grinned back at him as Luke muttered under his breath.

The other padawan returned with a pair of light blue pajamas. " Here," He said, " And I would appreciate if you don't steal it."

Luke giggled–it seemed the only adequate description Anakin could think of. " It's not stealing if you gave it to me, but I'll keep that in mind. Thanks! You folks are actually really nice." He then glared at Anakin. " I am so getting back at you for that!" No doubt, he was referring to being carried.

" Remember how I said I was going to kill you?" Anakin reminded him.

Luke's expression instantly became sheepish. " Oh." Then he growled, clearly thinking that he still did not like it. " Ugh! I'd prefer if you _actually _tried to kill me. Force!" He went to the refreshers to shower.

" Carrying him like a baby is hardly killing him." Said the padawan who lent Luke the sleepwear. " What were you planning on killing him for, Knight Skywalker?"

" Being a pain in the backside." Anakin grinned. Everyone laughed.

" Alright folks," Anakin called as he headed out, intending to come back to check on Luke after meeting with Yoda to discuss plans for Mustafar, " Do not stay up too late."

" Yes, Knight Skywalker." The padawans chorused. One of them asked if he wanted to play the board game with them. Anakin declined the offer, though part of him was tempted. He could sure use a game right now. However, he had to communicate with Master Yoda, and speak with Master Windu to ask if there was anything else to be done, especially regarding the relationship between the Chancellor's abduction and Padme's attempted one.

Both Yoda and Windu thought the two cases were definitely connected. He was to return to Padme's apartment to guard her against future threats. This was just to Anakin's liking, of course, and he agreed to it readily.

Half an hour later, he returned to the lounge to see if Luke had caused any more trouble. The group of board game players had dispersed, leaving the game on the table. When he arrived at Luke's room, he discovered that the boy was already asleep. His weariness was such that his Force presence, though muffled by his strong shields, had started to ebb out in a way that Anakin was able to detect, even if he could not really identify it.

_Rascal. About time he has settled. _Anakin thought with a smile. After pulling down Palpatine's pants, stowing away to Utapau, disposing of General Grievous like he was a rubik's cube, stealing a padawan's uniform while said padawan was in the shower, and saving Padme from a kidnapper, the boy has certainly created a lot of adventures for himself since he arrived.

Speaking of Padme, Anakin planned to go to his wife immediately. She suffered a bad scare today, and he worried for her health and that of their child's.

_Husband and Jedi, maybe. _Luke's voice echoed back at him. _But Father?_

When the time comes, Anakin decided, he might have to choose. He knew how he would, in a heartbeat, but that did not mean this did not bring him some pain. He reflected on when he was a child, an undistinguished, forgotten slave, and the dreams he had of one day becoming a noble Jedi, someone great, someone _important, _who would help bring peace and harmony to a galaxy constantly under threat of chaos. What naive dreams they were, he thought, dreams of a child who was ignorant and innocent, in desperate need of an escape from the harsh reality that was his life. Being a Jedi was what prevented him from saving his mother in the end, from openly caring for Padme the way she deserved, and will perhaps be the last obstacle blocking fatherhood. However, for all the Jedi's faults, he could not deny that he loved being a Jedi, and the experiences he had of contributing to a cause greater than just himself will live forever in his heart. For all the certainty of where his priorities lied, the day he leaves the order will be a sorrowful day indeed.

But that day will come in his own time. Right now he was father, husband, _and _Jedi. He had fulfilled his Jedi duties for the time being; now he had to be a husband. He left the Temple without looking back.


	9. Chapter 9

Turns of Fate

Chapter 9

Luke was so tired last night that he barely remembered showering and going to bed. The next morning, he changed into his Tatooine clothing and returned the pajamas to the owner. He went to the kitchens to get breakfast, during which Leia also woke up in her own time, and pestered him about updates. He did not ask her about Vader; their father visited Alderaan enough that if Leia did not comment on it, Luke knew nothing of great significance occurred.

_I'm thinking about going to Mom and telling her some stuff._ Luke told her. _Whatever game Palpy is playing, it's working in my favor at the moment. She's ripe for listening to requests right now._

_What are you going to tell her?_

Luke was not grabbed a piece of toast, ignoring the other Jedi as he exited the kitchens. He did not even see the Jedi Masters he passed. Force, sometimes he hated how the galaxy worked. _Seriously, I wish there was a way to reboot the Jedi Order without purging everyone. Would that be so terrible? Seriously? Maybe a nice, peaceful transition, maybe? One that does not require younglings to die? Oh, and a peaceful way to reboot the Republic would be nice too. I could do without the Galactic Empire era.  
_

_There might be._ Leia admitted. _But it probably would not work as well._

Luke sighed. _The thing is, Dad is really nice. I mean, the padawans are really nice. I stole their clothes and normally this would have resulted in a fistfight, but they basically said, " Don't do it again. Hey, let's be friends!" It's bizarre, but it's the nice kind of bizarre. I don't like the thought of everyone here getting hunted down. I especially don't like the idea of having to kill my own father. I never liked it...but seeing him now, I like it even less.  
_

Leia was quiet. _I know, Luke. _His sister said quietly. _I wish I knew what to do._

_It feels like getting everything back to normal just isn't right. I mean, yeah, I pulled down Palpatine's pants, but does that seriously warrant all these changes? Palpatine kidnapping himself for Force knows what reason..._

_Well, if you can think of some alternate way to eliminate the Old Jedi Order and start a new one, you're certainly at liberty to implement it._ His sister replied gravely. _I, for one, don't really know. But I'm not the one in the past, and as you keep saying, the Force brought you to the past for a reason._

In the halls, the Jedi moved back and forth about their business. One of them said hi to Luke, who waved back awkwardly. He chewed on what remained of his toast, trying to gather his thoughts. It all seemed so hopeless! Once he and Leia figured out that the purpose behind the Sith's rise to power and the Galactic Empire was to clear a path for the establishment of a new Jedi Order and Republic, it was hard to imagine an alternative way to achieve the same goals. _Stupid galaxy and it's need for change and the Force's stupid need for stupid chaos and rest. Stupid Fate and stupid destinies._

" Luke!" Terin paused before him. " I did not see you there for a second."

Luke blinked, broken out of his musings. " Hello." He looked up and down at the padawan. " It _does _fit you better."

Terin grinned amiably. " Well, that is only proper!" He flicked his uniform as he spoke. " Why are you eating breakfast out here? Come join us." So saying, he gestured out as he started walking again, in a way that pushed Luke forward with him without actual physical contact, or use of the Force. Luke obliged, figuring that it would not hurt to associate with padawans that history does not remember.

Leia expressed some mild interest in Terin, which Luke ignored for the moment.

" I don't really feel like a padawan." Luke admitted to Terin. " In fact, I'm not a padawan. Never been a youngling either."

" I heard." Terin told him. " What was it like, training on Tatooine? I can't imagine there are many other Force sensitives there, so it must be lonely."

" It's in the Outer Rim, so any Force sensitive tends to get missed." Luke pointed a thumb at himself. " But yeah, I'm the only one there."

" Except your Master?"

" Ehh." Luke wagged his hand in front of him. " Ben left after only training me in the basics. I mostly learned by meditation."

" Force!" Terin exclaimed. " That is impressive. Why did your Master leave?"

" It's complicated." Luke replied, with enough tone of finality that Terin did not press the issue.

They came back to the kitchens, where Terin guided Luke to the other padawans, gathered around the table with their own meals. They all greeted Terin and Luke, though to the latter they were slightly less casual.

" It must be a big change," One of them observed, " Coming from a desert planet to a metropolis like Coruscant."

" Is it true that you were literally whisked here by the Force?"

" Yes and yes," Luke replied, leaning back in his chair. " There's a lot of life, and distractions here. Back on Tatooine, it's much quieter."

" I'd imagine so." Said the padawan who lent him the pajamas.

" I heard you had a grudge against the Chancellor, Luke."

Luke shrugged. " I don't like him."

" That much is obvious."

" Word has it that he killed your parents." Said Terin. " Is this true?"

Luke blinked. _Force loves irony. _" Where'd you hear that?"

" I think it just kind of grew. People heard you were an orphan, didn't like Palpatine for whatever reason, and the Jedi Masters have been kind of tight-lipped about what they think of the Chancellor, saying that we aren't to judge too hastily." Said another padawan. " But everyone knows that the Chancellor's acting kind of suspicious. Say, you are pretty close to Knight Skywalker. Has he mentioned anything?"

Luke let out a laugh. " Anakin's stubborn about believing in Palpy's good character. It's kind of sad."

" He is very loyal." Said another padawan. " He fights for what he believes in and has a lot of motivation. It use to drive the other Jedi Masters crazy. It still does."

" But Luke's replaced him for driving people mad." Terin said good-naturedly. " Although with you, it's hard to criticize since you always wind up doing something good."

" They might make you a Knight for killing General Grievous."

" Oh dear." _Like Obi-Wan?_ " That would be funny."

" Why would it be funny?"

" Because I wasn't even officially trained." Luke shrugged. " I know some basics of the Force. If you take me where I'm at, I could go either Jedi or Sith, really. That's the extent of what I know."

" But you're not Sith. Nor are you a Dark Jedi."

" There's really no difference between those two." Luke shrugged. " The Sith just happen to be an official group. The Dark Jedi are the outgroup. That's all. They both tend toward evil, for some odd reason. Maybe they just feel like it." Luke beamed. " I can be none of the above. That would be awesome."

" You do not want to be a Jedi?" Terin asked curiously.

Luke considered this question for a moment, because he had never thought of it before. " i don't think I like the conditions of being a Jedi." He admitted. " I was trained on Tatooine, and it's a different world over there. There's no temple to shelter you from the rest of society. Just sand, sand, and more sand, the heat of the twin suns and the constant fight for water. You can't live by yourself over there–you need people," _Though how Ben survived as a hermit, I will never know. It sure doesn't make sense in a desert setting. _" And because you need people, you need to form attachments. Love is not only necessary, it's sufficient." He took a bite out of a piece of fruit. " It's all you need, and without it, you're lost. From what I heard, Jedi don't look favorably upon such things. I can't very well give up something that has proven to help me survive. " _Not any more than my father could._

" It is hard to imagine what kind of life that is like." Said a female padawan. " All our lives we lived at the Temple and the Order is our family. The galaxy is just...everyone else. Here, life is simple and straightforward. You train, you study, you learn and you grow. Out there, there's jealousy, greed, manipulation, sorrow, misunderstandings and all kinds of relationship problems. Why would you willing choose to deal with all of that?"

Luke thought quietly of Leia, of Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen, as he spoke, " Because of all the good things that come with it too." He replied. " Everything is balanced, you know. Where there's jealousy, there's empathy. Where there's greed, there's generosity. When there's manipulation, there's acceptance. For sorrow, there's joy, and for any misunderstanding is a time when you learn that someone truly understands you. Relationship problems are a pain, but when they work, you really feel like your life truly has _meaning_, and I don't mean your life has a cause, or you have a particular destiny–you feel like life is worth living, all on its own. So you put up with life despite all the negative things because there's a lot of positive things too." He paused. " If I become a Jedi, I'd give up all the bad things, but I'd give up all the good things as well, and I don't really want to do that."

" That is fair." Terin nodded, with a manner conveying his respect for Luke's reasoning. " Although, I hope you do not align with the Dark Side, Luke. So many Force-sensitives end up going that way. It seems like it's the only alternative."

" It's not." Luke said confidently. " Primarily because Light and Darkness are purely mortal things. They are not ways of the Force. The Force is unbiased and nonaligned. The individual is the one who decides." He wondered briefly how he got into this conversation topic in the first place. This was something he and Leia had figured out during their multiple meditation sessions, something that was radical and against the philosophies of the Jedi Order. " The Force is, however, chaos and rest, and requires equal amounts of both to function."

The padawans were intrigued by his perspective. " What do you mean, chaos and rest?"

" Basic principles of physics, people." Luke quipped. " The universe tends toward becoming more and more disorganized: that is the Law of Entropy. Similarly, the universe tends to head toward the least energetic state. I forget which law that was but I'm sure it's one of them, if not the same one." He wished he paid more attention in class, all of the sudden. " The Force is the universe. It likes to be disorganized, but it also likes to be lazy. So that's why the Jedi Order is so successful: it keeps the galaxy in its least energetic state, in other words, less war, less conflict, less people going crazy. On the other hand, the way everything is kept so low is by control: that is organization, a tradeoff, where you have concentrated energies in order to keep the whole system in its lowest state. Occasionally you need to relieve these areas. That's why you constantly have problems with the Sith and Dark Jedi–they balance the Jedi Order out by creating more discord, but also making things more chaotic." He grinned. " The law of the Force that we should all take away from this is: as long as there are Jedi, there will be Sith or Dark Jedi, and as long as there are Sith and Dark Jedi, there will be Jedi. Congratulations, ladies and gentlemen: you folks are doomed to always be fighting a war that never ends."

The padawans chuckled uneasily at each other, unable to argue with Luke but also unable to agree with him. Luke finished his fruit and bade them farewell. He still had to go to his mother.

_There's an article here, _Leia broke into his musings, _People are apparently skeptical about the Chancellor's kidnapping. Suspicions of an inside job._

_Whoa._ Luke halted. _Well yeah!_ He thought in annoyance. _Idiot ups and kidnaps himself and offers a trade with a Tatooine farmboy? What kind of political strategy is that?_

_Moron strategy. _Leia agreed. _One that speaks of total desperation. Popularity of the Chancellor has gone down. They think he did it to hold on to his emergency powers._

Idiot idiot idiot idiot idiot!

" Are you lost?"

Luke broke out of his mental mantra to look up. A familiar tall brunette Jedi Knight was in front of him in the hallway. The other Jedi looked several times at the pair, but most of them went about their business.

" Hi." Luke smiled. " No, I'm not lost. I'm Luke."

" I know. We have met."

" Not officially." Luke bowed.

The knight bowed in return, with a small smile. " I am Ferus Olin."

" Master Olin!" Terin ran up. " I–oh hi Luke."

" I see you have met my padawan." Ferus smiled at Luke.

Leia started sniggering, as Luke mentally smacked his forehead against his hand. _Ugh. It figures that of all the padawans I steal clothes from, it had to be _his _padawan._

" Yes we've met." Luke waved. " I'm gonna go. I'll see you two later."

" Where are you going, Luke?" Terin called.

" That's for me to know and you to wonder!" Luke called back. He had to go to his mother's apartment, but he was hardly going to tell _them _that.

The streets of Coruscant definitely looked much friendlier in the daytime. On the streets the civilians strolled or hurried to their destinations. They paid no attention to Luke, just as they paid no attention to him the first day he was here. Hopping around buildings would be more conspicuous in the morning, so Luke was forced to take the longer route. Padme Naberrie's apartment complex loomed before him, the building pristine and elegant in the sunlight.

His mother was cleaning up what remained of breakfast when Luke broke into her apartment.

" Wow!" Luke exclaimed, startling his mother so much that she shattered the dishes she was carrying. " You rich people sure know how to enjoy life! And you have a great view of the congested skyways from your window."

" Hello Luke," His mother murmured after regaining her composure. She bent down with great difficulty to pick up the shattered dishes. " Is there anything I can do for you today?"

Luke turned to her with a grin, before realizing her situation. With telekinesis, he moved the shattered dishes to the trash bin. " As a matter of fact, there is. I wanted to talk to you."

His mother wiped her hands on a rag silently, her warm eyes steady in their gaze upon him.

Luke looked around the apartment. He noted that there was a familiar presence here. " Is Skywalker here?" This would sort of ruin things this time around.

His mother considered his question for a moment. " Yes." She replied. " He is taking a nap. Did you want to speak with him?"

" No." Luke sat down on the carpet. _Wow! This is so soft! This is just like the palace in Alderaan._

_Haha,_ Leia responded.

" I'm kind of surprised he didn't sense me come. How is he doing?" Luke asked. " I bet he was freaking out about yesterday. His nightmares would have kept you up all night."

His mother frowned. " Actually," She moved to sit down on the couch, " He did not have nightmares yesterday."

_Oh._ Luke and Leia chorused.

" Huh, that's interesting." _What would cause the nightmares to stop?_

_I don't know! Maybe you?_

_Me? I didn't do anything!_

_Maybe just your presence. How am I supposed to know?_

" Luke?" Luke's father called from the bedroom. He was wearing an inner shirt and trousers, and did not look at all surprised to see the teen here in his wife's apartment. However, " Did you _break _in?"

" Uh..."

" How?" His dad went to the door to check the lock.

" No I didn't break the lock," Luke wrinkled his nose. " I just made it open, that's all."

" With the Force?" His father sounded shocked.

Luke scratched the back of his head. Alright, he certainly always knew that he was pretty powerful and all, but some of the easier tricks...he thought any Jedi could do. Such as commanding a lock to open. " Yeah?"

His father considered the door. " Force." He murmured. " What if the Sith Lord is capable of that?"

" The Sith Lord's not capable of that, I assure you." _Holy cow, imagine if Palpy really were able to do that. As if being a politician weren't enough, Palpy as a mechanic?  
_

_Oh Force. No. No. The only way he can open a lock with the Force is if the lock were our father._

_Hm._

" Luke, what are you doing here?" The Jedi asked.

" I got bored at the temple."

" _Again? _Shouldn't you go train?"

" Train what, exactly?" Luke sat down on the carpet. " How to meditate? Twirl objects in midair?" He lifted the knives and forks and set them spinning to demonstrate.

" Why are you sitting on the floor?" His mother gestured at the couch. " Sit properly, for Force's sake."

A little meekly, Luke got up from the floor and did as she asked.

" Maybe your lightsaber skills." His father suggested following Luke's comment.

" Oh." _Wow. I feel like a retard for not thinking of that. _" Uh...I don't...know how to use a lightsaber."

His parents exchanged a strange look.

" I always thought that skill was essential for a Jedi." His mother grinned. " After all, the Jedi are warriors of peace."

" Yeah that's quite an oxymoron that." Luke remarked. " Anyway, I never held a lightsaber in my life."

" Why not? Did this 'Ben' not train you?" His father asked curiously.

_No, it's not that. It's just that I refused to learn. _Once Luke realized he was the one chosen to kill his father, he could not stand the thought of wielding a lightsaber. It seemed to embody everything he loathed about the Force, and his responsibility to those besides those he loved. Ben had tried, for a long time, to cajole him into learning lightsaber skills, but to no avail. Some part of Luke felt that if he never learned how to use a lightsaber, he would never have to fight with one.

This ended up being both good and bad. The bad part is, of course, he lacked a formidable weapon, but the good part was he learned to fight very well without one.

" I didn't want to learn." Luke replied after a while. " It's a weapon that kills. Not something very peace-ish."

" Well," His father murmured, " Your telekinesis and Force blast can only help you so far." He twirled the lightsaber in his hand. " Why don't we start, right here?"

_Oh good grief. _Leia huffed. _You get a private lesson with our father when we were supposed to talk with our mother. This is just great._

_Jealous!_ Luke mentally grinned. He turned to his father and looked at the polished weapon. Ben had offered him his father's weapon a long time ago. Luke felt gratified to see that over the long years, the condition of his father's lightsaber had not changed. Ben had taken good care of it.

Despite his teasing of Leia, he felt sorry for her, and wished dearly that his sister were here. He felt bad going through this without her.

" Maybe at the temple." The boy grinned.

" You are a very strange child." His father tucked the lightsaber away. " You don't want to wield a lightsaber. Normally younglings could not wait."

" Yeah, well, I'm kind of too old to be a youngling. Besides, you're the one to talk. You're a very strange Jedi, getting married to a Senator, thinking you can get away with being two conflicting things at once."

" I am curious, Luke," It was his mother who spoke, " How did you know that Anakin and I were married?"

Luke's father threw a tissue in the trash. " How did these dishes break, Padme?"

" It's all my fault, it's all my fault; Force, do you even need to ask?" Luke threw his hands up.

" I'm beginning to learn that I don't." His father shifted the trash bin.

For a moment, Luke reflected, the situation seemed surreal. There he was (and Leia in his mind) sitting in his parents' home with his parents both either seven or twelve years older than him, but somehow the whole scene was very reminiscent of a normal family. Dad eating the rest of the leftover breakfast, Mom sitting down, mindful of her unborn children, and Luke, sitting there, watching them. Of course, if this were really normal, Luke would hardly be watching them; he would probably be watching something on the holonet or playing some hologame, but then his parents would also be aware that Luke was their son.

" Luke, do you want some?" His mother offered. " I can make some more pancakes."

_Oh Force. _" No thanks. I ate at the Temple, but I'll take a raincheck on that offer."

" Rascal," His father pointed his fork at Luke. " If you hadn't stolen that poor padawan's clothes, you'd be able to go to the mall with them instead of staying here with us. I doubt it's more interesting in this apartment than it is at the Temple."

" He stole someone's clothes?" Luke's mother laughed, even as Luke exclaimed, " You Jedi go to the _mall?_"

" It was Ferus Olin's padawan," His father chuckled, " Apparently Luke broke into the bathroom while he was showering to steal his uniform. The poor boy had to go around the residence halls in his towel, according to the others."

" I thought that uniform looked strange on you." His mother looked at him sternly. " I hope you do not make a habit of breaking into other people's bathrooms."

" Oh I never repeat the same trick twice." Luke declared. " I mean seriously, after pulling down Palpatine's pants, I could have pulled down Yoda's. Which actually brings up the question of whether he actually wears pants in the first place."

_He does._ Leia answered.

" You should show some more respect for Master Yoda." His father remarked reproachfully. " He is the wisest and most powerful Jedi ever to live, whatever _you _may think."

" Uh huh. Says the guy who spent the trip to Utapau cracking Yoda jokes with Obi-Wan."

His father made a face. " I still have no idea how you managed to sneak onto the ship."

" I'm just that good."

His mother suddenly started laughing.

" What?" Luke and his father asked in unison. This only made her laugh harder.

" Ani, are you sure your mother didn't have some other child you did not know about? He is just like you, I swear."

_Oh. Crud._

" That's funny." His father observed. " I was just complaining last night about how he was just as stubborn as you."

" What can I say?" Luke raised his hands. " Brilliant minds think alike."

" You are a very confident young man." His mother chuckled.

Luke shrugged. He studied his father, thinking that his father's Force presence somehow felt a lot brighter and purer than it did when he first arrived.

" So, no dreams yesterday?" Luke asked, folding his legs on the couch.

His father blinked. He took a forkful of eggs into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. " No nightmares, anyway. One puzzling dream though."

" What was it about?"

His father raised his eyebrows. " Aren't _you _the prophet?"

" No. I only pretend to be one."

But his father suddenly seemed serious. " Luke, you never touched a lightsaber?"

" Well," Luke tilted his head back and forth, " I lied. Okay, I _held _one, but I never turned it on."

For some reason the Jedi frowned. " Luke," He began quietly, " I want to ask you something."

Luke blinked, wondering why he suddenly felt like the tides have turned.

" Will you consent to becoming my padawan?"

_..._Luke was struck speechless for the first time since he arrived in this time. Leia was equally shocked.

_This must be the will of the Force. _Leia thought. _Luke, what do you say?_

A chance to train under his real, living father? _Are you kidding? _" Heck, yeah!"


	10. Chapter 10

Turns of Fate

Chapter 10

" The Council suspects foulplay." Obi-Wan told Anakin. Luke had gotten hungry after a few hours, prompting Padme to serve him a lunch. For some reason, it was strange seeing his pregnant wife taking care of a teenage boy.

_Twins._ Anakin thought. He wondered if Luke had a twin, and then wondered why he thought of it in the first place. Padme, after getting checked at the hospital, had the medics examine her baby to ensure that the fall Luke induced in order to prevent her from being stunned had not injured the baby. The medics then informed her that both children were fine.

_Twins! _Anakin was the father of twins! He was so in awe that for a while, when Padme told him this, he could hardly believe it. Twins! Two of them! He was the father of two!

But the problems have not changed. This just meant he had more at stake. He thought of Luke's words. They were warnings, no doubt. _Husband and Jedi, maybe. But Father?_

And now he was sitting here, in Padme's apartment, watching her feed Luke and thinking that someday she might be feeding his son at the same age. Assuming at least one of the twins was a boy. But then Luke warned Anakin that Obi-Wan was coming, which reminded Anakin that he should get dressed in his Jedi uniform before anyone notices.

" Even you have to admit." Obi-Wan said to the younger Jedi, " This whole affair is bizarre. The Chancellor gets abducted with no trace of struggle so soon after we destroy General Grievous, and then his kidnapper wants _Luke_, of all people, in exchange for the currently most powerful man in the galaxy." Anakin sighed in frustration, but his mentor went on, " We know that Luke has ill-opinions of the Chancellor–"

" And they are well-warranted!" Luke called from the kitchen table.

" We know that after meeting Luke, the Chancellor has little reason to favor the boy–"

" He would not harm a _child._"

" I'm not a child!"

Both Jedi ignored him. " And the timing of this whole affair conveniently allows the Chancellor to keep his emergency powers."

Anakin glared. " What are you saying? You think the Chancellor abducted himself?"

" Oh wow!" Luke looked at Padme. " He _is _smart!"

Obi-Wan glared back at Luke. " What are _you _saying?"

" I'm saying I thought Skywalker was an idiot." Luke took a mouthful of lunch. " Because he actually _likes _that creep."

" I think," Padme bent over the table, resting on her elbows, " That it is very odd that _you _think he _is _a 'creep', as you call him. What makes you say that?"

Luke just glowered.

" Luke, is there something you sensed from the Chancellor?" Obi-Wan suddenly asked, while Anakin released his irritation into the Force. He hated how everyone seemed to be doubting the good man.

The boy's expression dimmed. Obi-Wan rose from Anakin's side to sit down next to the teen.

" Luke, if you have something to tell us...it would be best to say it, right now. You are among friends here."

Luke simply took another bite.

Anakin sighed. " When you become my padawan, I expect you to be more forthcoming."

" Ah, so you _are _taking him as your padawan?"

Anakin grinned. He thought about the strange dream he had the previous night. Luke and he were playing chess, but what really stood out in Anakin's mind right now was that Luke had kept calling him 'Dad', throughout the entire dream. It was as if the Force was telling him something, telling him that he should take Luke as his padawan. After all, taking a padawan was like adopting a child. A Jedi child.

It seemed right.

Of course, he could not tell Obi-Wan that. Not in front of Luke, who, Anakin knew, would probably somehow use this to his own advantage somehow. The rascal.

" Obi-Wan, he doesn't even know how to hold a lightsaber."

" I do too!"

" Oh really?" Anakin held his out. " Show me."

Luke cringed away from the lightsaber. " I'm not touching that."

" It is not even on! What are you scared of?"

Luke was grinning, but the light in his eyes was anxious. " I'm not touching that." He repeated.

Anakin leaned back. The boy was afraid. He could feel it. It was as if the mere act of touching the lightsaber would be disastrous. _Luke, why are you so scared of this?_

Luke ducked his head down. He could tell the boy had heard.

" You will need to go to the Jedi Council to ask them to assign him to you." Obi-Wan told Anakin. " I can stay here with Padme while you go."

" Very well." Anakin glared at Luke. " You _will _learn to wield a lightsaber. No padawan of mine will be lacking in such an essential skill. Come along, finish up. We're going."

Luke easily became his old intolerable self on the way from Padme's apartment, but that instantly died down when they were facing the Council. For all the boy's insolence, he seemed to know when enough was enough when it really counts. And when one is facing Yoda, well, nothing more needed to be said.

As Anakin listened to the rest of the Council interview the boy, he was transported back to the first time he stepped into this room. Nervous, despite Qui-Gon's reassurances, remorseful for leaving his mother behind, and afraid of the new world with its new people, he had been much less joyous that day than he had imagined he would be. All his life, he wished he had been a Jedi. He thought becoming a Jedi would mean he would fulfill all his other dreams. He never realized that in exchange, he had to give up things he did not even realize he had.

Luke was the most subdued Anakin has ever seen him. He stood facing the Council next to Anakin with an air of determination. For a while, the Council simply stared at them, which was even more unnerving then when the Council fires tough questions. Anakin could wager that he would even rather have the Council get angry with him (which has happened on occasion) than this morbid…silence.

" You wish to take this boy as your padawan?" One of the masters finally asked Anakin.

_I thought I made that pretty clear…_" Yes Master."

Another silence.

_What is going on?_

" You are very well-trained, when you came here, Luke." Said Master Windu. " To the extent that you may even qualify for Knight."

" I have never used a lightsaber." Luke replied.

Another silence, this one stretching even longer. Anakin wondered if the Jedi Masters were communicating with muscle vibrations. They certainly were not looking at each other.

" The lightsaber brings you pain." Yoda observed. " Much sorrow, I sense in you."

Anakin turned to Luke at this. The youth's face had hardened into a mask, and his eyes glinted like cold steel. He saw the boy's jaw clench. All of the sudden, he did not seem like Luke. He seemed like…a ghost.

_What is it, Luke? Is Yoda telling the truth?_

Of course Yoda was telling the truth. The old Jedi was exceptional at figuring people out. Anakin recalled how the old Jedi had told him he harbored much fear. At the time, Anakin had not understood what the Jedi was saying. It was not until much later, when he began dreaming of his mother, suffering, that he ultimately realized what fear meant.

As a Knight, he has become much wiser. Fear leads to anger, and anger leads to hate. Similarly, sorrow leads to despair, and despair leads to…

_Death._

Luke, this vibrant young lad, dying? He could hardly believe it, but even more, he could not stand the thought.

" Do you wish to train with Knight Skywalker?" Asked another master.

" Yes." Luke replied readily.

Silence followed this again. Anakin resisted the urge to place his hand on the boy's shoulder. The Jedi Council would gauge that as a sign of weakness on Luke's part, and Luke is anything but that.

" Who was your old master?" Asked yet another master of Luke. " Was he a Jedi?"

" Yes."

" But not of the Order."

" He was not a Dark Jedi. The situation was complicated."

" Hm." Yoda contemplated this answer. " A purpose, you have here; for that reason, brought you here, the Force has. Lightsaber skills, you are not here to learn. A mission far greater, I sense in you."

Anakin looked at Luke again, wondering if the boy understood what the old Jedi was saying.

" I have a mission." Luke replied. " I just don't know what it is. The Force is guiding me but lightly. I do not understand it."

" But train with Skywalker, you feel you should?"

" Yes."

" And train him as a padawan, you feel you should, Knight Skywalker?" The old Jedi turned to Anakin.

Anakin bowed. " Yes Master Yoda."

Master Yoda shook his head. " Two of you together; much trouble, this will bring! However, the will of the Force, I sense this is."

" I agree." Said Master Windu. As the others also affirmed, Windu turned to Anakin.

" Train him well, young Skywalker. He has learned much, and yet has much to learn. Learn well, young Luke, for Skywalker has much to teach you."

And so it was settled. Luke was officially declared Anakin's padawan, and Luke left to accept his padawan uniform. As with all new padawans, he will go to the Rotunda Chapels, where he will meditate for the night before joining with Anakin in the morning. The two actually parted without much words—Luke seemed unsettled and Anakin was distracted by Yoda's first observation. _Much sorrow, I sense in you._

Two hours ago, he would not have believed Luke had any sorrow whatsoever, as naive as that sounded. After seeing him at the Council, Anakin realized there was more to this boy than he first assumed. Whatever his mission was, it was probably safe to guess that it was responsible for that sorrow, somehow.

Well, at least Yoda had not made a big deal out of it.

" With his own uniform, your padawan will no longer steal from my padawan, I hope?" Ferus said to Anakin as he washed his face with cold water.

" I will try to get him to behave." Anakin muttered. He then thought of the strange telepathic link he and Luke had the night the boy had saved Padme. " I have not had much luck before, but once we are bonded…more than we are already, anyway, perhaps things will turn out for the better."

" More than you are?" Ferus frowned. " What do you mean?"

Anakin was not sure if it was wise to reveal this to the other, but he was honestly baffled. " We spoke. Telepathically. In a way that…seems _impossible_, actually."

" It could be because he is your cousin." Ferus folded his arms.

" You think so too?"

" He looks a lot like you, acts a lot like you, and he comes from Tatooine. Unless all the humans on Tatooine look and act alike, I would say there is a decent chance that he is your cousin."

" My mother never mentioned having any siblings." He shook his head. " Or any cousins. She might have forgotten, young as she was." He sighed. " It is strange," He confessed to his colleague, " Suddenly being the one wishing others would follow the rules for once."

Ferus smirked, but graciously said nothing.

" I am going to be one of those boring thick-headed Jedi."

" Somehow, I doubt you can even if your life depended on it. In fact, you life has depended on it before, and you still failed." Ferus pointed out. " It just so happens that Luke is far more untamed than you are, and for once you actually see how such wildness can cause harm." Then, kindly, he added, " I think you would be a great master to him. You understand him far more than I do, that is certain."

" Thanks." Anakin blinked uncertainly.

" Though two Skywalkers together." Ferus said with a flat expression. " That would be either miraculous, or disastrous."

_Yoda said that too!_ Anakin thought indignantly, but Ferus was already walking away.

Anakin flew back to Padme's apartment, where it was Obi-Wan's turn to be fed.

" I take it all went well?"

Anakin groaned.

Obi-Wan frowned. " What is it, Anakin?"

" It's something Master Yoda said. It has been on my mind ever since."

" Oh? What did he say?"

" He said he sensed a great sorrow in Luke. Then he started talking about the mission Luke had." Anakin took off his cloak. " The fact that he said it would not have mattered as much, if it weren't for the fact that Luke looked like he became an ice statue."

" Struck a nerve, Yoda did." His master said after a thoughtful pause.

" Don't go adopting his grammar patterns, Obi-Wan."

His mentor scowled. " Well, since he will become your padawan, I have no doubt that you two can sort this out. Whatever troubles him, you can solve as long as you talk to him."

" If he would stay still long enough." Anakin replied, sitting down at the kitchen table beside Padme and Obi-Wan.

" I wonder what troubles him." Padme murmured, eating a slice of fruit. " He seems like such a carefree boy. Perhaps his playful nature is a compensation."

" I think that too." Said Anakin. " And I cannot believe he really does not know how to use a lightsaber. I think he shocked the Council with that one. The Jedi Masters were stone-silent for what seemed like minutes."

" With the number of times Luke has struck me speechless, I am not surprised." Obi-Wan rose. " I best be going now. Anakin, congratulations. Now you can appreciate all the trouble you caused me."

Anakin grinned wryly. _Love you too, Obi-Wan. _" So I will."

" Goodbye, Padme."

" Goodbye Obi-Wan. Be sure to come visit soon."

" I will. Take care."

And then it was just the two of them.

Anakin gathered his wife to him, all cares suddenly forgotten.

" Your very own padawan," Padme murmured with a grin. " And a fantastic child at that."

" Mmhmm." Anakin buried his face in his wife's hair, smelling the fragrance. He kissed her on the top of her head. " I cannot believe I am the father of twins."

" Double the trouble. And with a padawan too."

" At least Luke knows already."

His wife stiffened suddenly. " How does he know?" She asked. " How is it possible that he knows, when not even Master Yoda knows?"

Anakin stepped back. " I do not know. However, I am certain he means us no harm. I think he has demonstrated as much."

" No, that is not what I was worried about." Padme shook her head. Her eyes looked calculating as she stared ahead. " You said that he was whisked from Tatooine?"

" Yes."

" And his surname begins with an 'S'."

" He might be a cousin of some sort."

Padme frowned. " Does the Force normally just whisk people away from places and deposit them elsewhere?"

" Not that I know of. Why are you asking all this?"

" I was thinking about Luke's odd dislike of Chancellor Palpatine." She felt her stomach protectively. " And you mentioned that he was able to predict things, like your appointment to the Council…and yet he does not know how to use a _lightsaber?_ Anakin, if he really is a fifteen-year-old boy, don't you think it is odd that his mastery of the Force is so unbalanced that he can predict the future, and yet not know one of the most basic skills of a Jedi?"

" He was taught in a non-traditional manner, Padme. Something that will be rectified, but it is possible that his master did not train him in all aspects the same way we do." Anakin watched as she pondered on this. She then raised her head to kiss him on the cheek.

" It must be the mother in me." She said strangely. Anakin took her hands.

" You are beautiful." He told her. " You are so beautiful, you have no idea what you are to me."

She smiled at him. They kissed. And Luke was forgotten.


	11. Chapter 11

Turns of Fate

Chapter 11

The Rotunda Chapels were quiet places. Tall steeples reached the skies, and the architecture was smooth and elegant in design. While the rest of Coruscant would still be bustling with activity during the night, the halls of the chapels would be almost silent.

New padawans sat in meditative trances at one of the four chapels overnight, before meeting their new master in the morning. Often such padawans were selected in tournaments, and those who were not selected by a master would be sent to the Jedi Service Corps. _A dramatic way of saying ' In your face, you suck and we don't like you', _he thought to his sister, as he took his own place in the halls.

_Help me meditate?_ He asked.

_I have nothing else to do._ Leia replied. _Or at least, I should be doing my assignments, but some issues are more pressing than others._

Often in the past (or future, depending on one's perspective), their meditative trances allowed them to see the universe as a whole, and the Force, like a living thing, circling and going through anything and everything. They taught Luke and his sister that the Force was non-aligned, and that it does not care what state the galaxy was in as long as it itself persists through the trials of time. Usually the visions showed events of the past, where the twins could actually sit in for ancient lessons on the ways of the Jedi. They watched their father woo their mother, they watched him exclaim angrily at not being declared Master, and they watched him burn on Mustafar. They also watched Luke raise a lightsaber to strike down Darth Vader, and in turn dispose of the Emperor Palpatine in a future written out for them.

This time, the vision was much more nonsensical. Darth Vader, fully clad in his black suit and hissing with his respirator, was holding two balloons. At first they were bright pink and blue, presumably to represent the gender of his children. Then, the vision could not seem to decide whether they were both pink or both blue. Suffice to say, the balloons were each probably both, as impossible as it sounded. Eventually, the balloons morphed in shape and started looking like balloon planets, in particular Alderaan, with its many lakes and mountain pastures. Darth Vader stared at Luke (or Leia, since she was also meditating) and said: _" If you let the fish go," _he then somehow popped one of the balloons violently, _" but if you catch the fish," _he loosened the mouth of the other balloon so that gas escaped it with a gurgling sound not unlike a fart.

_Was that a meditative vision, or did we accidentally fall asleep? _Luke asked Leia when they both shook out of it.

_I don't know,_ Leia enunciated each word emphatically, _And if I may, I am going to hold on to that vision in case Darth Vader visits Alderaan again in the near future._

As far as visions went, this one was kind of disappointing. Luke was not sure exactly what he was supposed to accomplish as a new padawan during this meditation session, but whatever it was, he was pretty sure he and Leia failed. And considering that the Force saw fit to make the most formidable Jedi in history the size of a three-year-old, he was very ready to believe that the vision of Darth Vader farting balloons was the Force's idea of a joke.

He went to visit his father, now his Master, when dawn broke, and described the vision to him (omitting any details that would lead his father to discover that he would become this Sith Lord). His father's response was basically a dumbfounded expression.

His mother thought this was hilarious.

" Maybe you fell asleep instead of meditating." She suggested between her stifled laughter. " That sounds like a dream I would have when I pull an all-nighter."

" ' If you let the fish go', the balloon pops, 'but if you catch the fish', the balloon releases the gas?" Anakin stared at his wife and then back again. " I thought you were good at meditation."

" So did I." Luke sat down on the couch unhappily.

" Maybe the Force was trying to cheer you up."

_Crud._ As if Leia's pestering the other day had not been enough. Ever since Yoda proclaimed that Luke was depressed, Leia had been demanding answers. But the truth was, Luke really had no idea what the Jedi Master was talking about. He felt the words strike a nerve, felt a desperation to prove him wrong—which was evidence in itself, but Luke had no idea, honestly, that he had any sorrow at all in his heart until Yoda apparently pointed it out.

He was at a loss.

" Usually the meditation involves bonding with your Master." Said his father when Luke asked what these meditations usually achieve. " Becoming more in tune with the Force. Occasionally it shows you a vision to help further your skills. You don't often see Sith Lords holding balloons."

_Well,_ Leia remarked, _if the meditation involves bonding with your master, I think you achieved that part, at least._

" Yeah, well," Luke stopped. What could he say? " I guess the Force is just taking revenge on all the stunts I pulled."

His father looked confused. " Why do you say that?"

Luke shifted so he could lie flat on the couch. " Master, if I told you all the bad things I have done in my life, you would not even get a chance to train me."

" I doubt it's that bad." His father replied impassively. " I once slaughtered an entire village of innocents. Looking at you, I doubt you can beat that."

" Yeah, but you were angry and hurting. I was just being…me."

" Are you telling me that you also slaughtered an entire village of innocents?" His father asked in disbelief.

" Uh…no." Luke sat up.

" Luke, honey," His mother patted his shoulder, " I'm sure that there is an answer for this. You are well in tune with the Force, anyone can see that. And from the looks of it, you've been learning on your own. Maybe this vision is telling you that you have someone to depend on now."

_For less than six weeks. _Luke stared at her beautiful features for a moment. His mother. He never knew his mother. She was so kind. Angelic. And his dad was a great man. Suddenly faced with a desperate need to confide in his parents, he allowed, " I don't know what to do. I feel lost. It's like the Force just picked me up and threw me here just for kicks."

" Well, if it did, I am glad." She said. " Did you know that ever since you came, Ani stopped having nightmares? For all the troubles the Jedi keep claiming you cause, anyone can tell they like having you around. And even if they don't, _we _like having you around. You can treat this as home, Luke."

" You should have seen me when I came to Coruscant." His father supplied. " I was probably the epitome of social awkwardness. Padme would know."

" You were alright. As is Luke." His mother smiled.

" Do you want to meditate on this?" His father asked. " I can meditate with you."

Leia grumbled and cut off her connection so that Luke could meditate with his father without revealing he had a sister.

" I thought you hated meditating." Luke blinked, feeling a little guilty that his sister got shut out like that.

" I also hate a lot of things about you, but I still want you as my padawan." His father replied easily. " Come. We can meditate, see if there was something you missed last night."

Unfortunately for Luke, the vision was the exact same one. Hours later, they woke from the meditation, with his father laughing at the absurdity of it all. He wasted no time describing the vision to his wife.

" This robot-like Sith is holding these two latex balloons. It's like seeing the Tulak Hord eating cotton candy."

" Who is Tulak Hord?"

" He was an ancient Sith Lord, one of the first." His father replied, still grinning. " Well, that was definitely a vision and not a dream." He chuckled again. " Though I have no idea what it means. I think I will ask Obi-Wan."

Breakfast first though, and Luke was famished. He wolfed down the meal as if he were inhaling it. He loved his mom's cooking. Aunt Beru's cooking was great too, and probably actually tasted better than his mother's, but the fact that once he leaves he will never be able to taste her food again…that made the meal much more valuable.

_You don't know that. _Leia reminded him. _Things may have changed already._

That was true. And it made Luke very happy. He would have been happier, if either of them knew at all what they were doing. He was still wary of deliberately changing things, though becoming his father's padawan had been a gutsy move. They will just have to wait and see what happens.

_Less than six weeks. _He thought. _Little me will be braindead if I don't somehow off myself before then. Or something._

Speaking of changes, his father left the table to use the refresher, leaving him alone with his mother. Which meant he could sneak a few minutes to tell her some bit of information.

_Palpatine is Darth Sidious. No. Your husband's the guy holding the balloons. No! What should I tell her, Leia, without sounding like a moron?_

_Tell her about Order 66._

_What will that accomplish?_

_Well, she might investigate. Knowing her style—according to our visions, she already suspects something about the state of the Republic, though not the Chancellor himself, yet. If you drop some dirt, she will investigate, I'm sure. Might put an end to it, or not, depending on what the Force wants._

" Have you ever heard of an Order 66?" Luke asked in a low voice.

His mother looked at him curiously. " No. Why?"

" You might want to look into that." Luke said quietly.

She blinked. " I don't work now, because…" She trailed off.

" That doesn't mean you can't make a few calls." Luke pointed out. He checked the bathroom door to see if his father was going to come out. " Be careful. You can trust Senator Organa. Have him look into it."

" Order 66, you say?" She murmured. " I will keep that in mind."

Luke nodded. It helps that his parents seem to trust him implicitly. " Don't mention this to your husband yet." He told her.

She narrowed her eyes then. " Why?"

" He likes the Chancellor too much."

A look of understanding dawned on her.

His father came out. Luke swallowed some milk as his father remarked, " We should get to the temple to ask Obi-Wan about that vision of yours."

" Oh. Alright. What about Senator Amidala?"

" Call me Padme, Luke." His mother smiled. " I can go with you, until this whole affair with the…Chancellor and his abduction is settled. Hopefully nothing has happened to him."

" We are still following leads, I think." His father grabbed the dishes, while Luke made a face. As far as he was concerned, it would be nice if the Chancellor went and killed himself, though the galaxy would probably be in a state of disarray. Luke helped his father wash the dishes, before the three of them (or five, depending on one's perspective) left the apartment to depart for the Jedi Temple.

It was like a family outing. His father driving, his mother in the passenger's seat, and Luke in the back. The only one missing was Leia. Sort of. Discounting the fact that she is actually not born yet and still inside Padme's womb with another version of Luke.

His father wasted no time looking for Obi-Wan. Luke had a feeling it had more to do with his father's desire to share the hilarity, than any true hope of finding an answer. This was confirmed when his father shared this vision with several other Jedi Knights. By the time they did tell Obi-Wan (with Yoda by his side, since Yoda just seemed to be everywhere around here), Luke was actually feeling annoyed. Funny as the vision was, the timing could not be worse, and the fact that his father was going around announcing this to everyone made Luke look inept.

He kept his silence though. What could he say? _You would not find this funny if you knew you were actually the one holding the balloons?_

Obi-Wan, of course, did not understand the vision at all. Neither did Yoda, but as inclined as the two were to dismiss the importance of the vision, his father pointed out to the two masters that this vision was not a fluke, and that it had happened twice.

" Even with your abilities in meditation," Obi-Wan said to his father, " That is pretty impressive. Hm. Maybe the Force just wants to cheer Luke up. It certainly would sound like Luke's idea of a joke."

Luke wanted to protest. _His _idea of a joke would be Palpatine holding balloons, and maybe popping himself when he " lets the fish go". His father also did not realize that the two balloons eventually morphed into Alderaan, and was not sure how to tell him.

His father spoke with the masters some more, though not much came out of it, and when the two Skywalkers finally went to the training rooms, with Luke's mother heading to the library to amuse herself on the holobrowsers, Luke was in low spirits.

" You are upset." His father observed.

Luke shrugged.

" At me." His father went on.

He looked up and saw his father's clear blue eyes, filled with a genuine concern. He suddenly reminded himself that his father was one of the most powerful Jedi before he became a Sith lord.

" I'm sorry." His father apologized. " I got carried away. This was my fault."

Luke shook his head. " No," He smiled, " It was a funny vision."

" Do you have any idea what it could mean?" His father asked. " This is your initiation as a padawan. As bizarre as it was, it might hold some significance."

" The Sith Lord in that vision does not exist yet." Luke said abruptly.

Silence.

" His name will be Darth Vader." Luke went on. " He use to be a Jedi, and a great one at that."

His father released a breath. " Who?"

Luke shook his head. " Those balloons he was holding; each one was a representation of Alderaan."

"…" HIs father raised his eyebrows. " Is Alderaan in danger?"

" Not for about a score, at least." Luke replied.

" So the dream actually had a meaning to it." His father sounded…horrified.

" I don't know why it came like that, and I don't really know what it's trying to say." Luke shook his head. " It's a weird way of relaying a message."

" To be sure!" His father exclaimed. " Well, perhaps some meditation is in order."

" Can we not?" Luke asked his father. " I don't feel like meditating again."

His father then smiled understandingly. " Alright. You've had enough, I'd wager. What say we start rectifying the matter of the lightsaber?"

Luke was still not thrilled with the lightsaber.

_You better learn it._ His sister told him. _You'll have to at some point. There's no point in procrastinating, and besides, this is something our father is passionate about. If you don't let him teach you this, what else _can _he teach you?_

Good point. " Alright."

His father grinned. " But first," He activated his lightsaber, " Let's see how well you do without one."

Without warning, he slashed at Luke. Luke's senses instantly fired up and he ducked before kicking out. His father dodged, swinging his lightsaber back at Luke. Luke backflipped out of the way. He slammed his palms together. His father rolled to get out of the way. When he got to his feet, his lightsaber stretched in a blocking stance, he asked, " What was that?"

" That was a Force wave." Luke gasped breathlessly. His father sure was fast! " One of many."

" You make it by clapping? I have never seen that before."

" There are plenty of things you haven't seen before." Luke grinned. " Like this!" He leaped into the air and kicked his legs up, one after the other. Each one sent a Force wave toward his father, who somersaulted to dodge both. He tried to use the lightsaber as a bat to hit the second wave back at Luke, which obviously did not work.

" That was pretty amazing." His father grinned. " You will have to teach me that."

_Uh, probably not a good idea. _" After you teach me." Luke grinned back. _After all, I'm only here for less than six weeks. _He lunged at his father, raised his lightsaber at Luke. Luke used his telekinesis to push the blade hilt away. He punched and missed as his father ducked his head.

His father became a blur, and it was only Luke's Force abilities that prevented him from being sliced. After a bout of some of the most ridiculous series of moves Luke had ever conducted, he found himself on his back, his father's lightsaber pressed against his throat. Except the blade had been turned off.

_His lightsaber skills _were _legendary, after all._

His father, grinning a boyish grin, stepped back and held out a hand for Luke. Luke grabbed it and hoisted himself up.

" Feel like wielding one of your own now?" His father asked. " If it makes you feel better, I think you lasted…ah, two minutes."

_Sith. _" Ow." Luke rubbed his head. Lightsabers sound like a really great idea now. " Yeah, uh, you'll teach me all that, right?"

His father did not answer, instead only rubbing his head, messing it up. Luke ducked, straightening it out, but in the process, he saw that they somehow acquired a small audience gathered at the entrance to the training room.

" What?" He exclaimed in dismay, as the Jedi younglings quickly fled the doorway. The other Jedi were slightly more dignified, but only slightly, as they instantly turned around in a fruitless attempt to pretend they had not just been spectators to the spar.

" We make a good show eh?" His father rested his hand on Luke's shoulder.

Luke laughed.

" Come on," His father handed Luke the lightsaber, " Here's how you hold it…"

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	12. Chapter 12

Turns of Fate

Chapter 12

Watching Luke go through the learning process of holding a lightsaber correctly reminded Anakin of himself when he first started. He recalled fond memories of a much younger Obi-Wan and after sending Luke off to join the other Padawans, in a fit of nostalgia, he went looking for his mentor.

" You are in a funny mood lately." Obi-Wan observed, as the two Jedi strolled through the gardens. " I do not think I have ever seen you so at peace."

" I feel like I have found myself." Anakin confessed. " Luke's arrival reminded me much of what I have now and what I had hoped to gain."

" He reminds the rest of us that you could have been much, much worse."

" Pfft. Luke is a good kid."

" Never said you weren't." Obi-Wan smirked. " Where is Luke now?"

" With the other Padawans. It's high time he understand that Jedi padawans are not boring monks he thought they were."

" In that case, I am assuming the training went well?"

Anakin made a face. " We had an audience, or haven't you heard?"

" Ah. Yes. One that lasted too briefly, it was said."

" The kid moves fast!" Anakin threw some punches as he walked. " And he had this mysterious Force Wave where he simply claps his hand, and a vertical line blasts out in front of him. You cannot block it with a lightsaber—you just have to dodge. He can throw Force waves with his feet as well. It is like shooting missiles."

Obi-Wan frowned. " I have never heard of such a thing. Those are not Jedi skills."

" I am fairly certain they were not dark either, though."

" No. I spoke with Mace earlier about Luke. There is no darkness, save that of grief. The sadness in him is not unlike that of mourning, but he controls it well, so it should be no big issue."

" Is it possible that this is why Luke had that bizarre vision last night? It could have interfered somehow." _After all, with a vision like that, even the most depressed, suicidal person would start laughing hysterically._

" It could be, except you meditated with him again, correct? With you as a support, his vision should not be so warped."

" This is just so strange." Anakin shook his head. He bit his lip. Somehow everything has started to revolve around Luke these days. Last night, while Luke had been dreaming of balloons, Anakin had dreamed about the chess game again. He looked at Obi-Wan and considered how lucky he was to have someone like Obi-Wan to depend on. Obi-Wan, who had gained the burden of taking care of Anakin just when he had lost the one person _he _had depended on. Deep gratitude swelled in him, to the point where he had to express it somehow.

Of course, Anakin was nowhere as good with sentimentality as he was with the lightsaber. " I am glad you are here, Master." _Wow. That was lame. _Not to mention spontaneous and random.

For his part, Obi-Wan seemed to understand. " You have changed." He noted. " I suppose, whatever mischief Luke gets himself into, we can thank him for helping you."

_You have no idea. _Anakin grinned.

The two Jedi suddenly ducked. Anakin looked up to see what made him dive down, but Luke seemed to drop out of the sky and nearly landed on top of him.

" Ow!" Luke cried as he rolled to smooth out the momentum, before realizing where he was. " Master! Oh! Uh, I can explain—"

" Luke! Are you alright?" Someone shouted from above. The three glanced up. It was a girl, and she seemed to be holding a remote. She bit her lip in dismay.

" It was only a three story jump!" Luke called up. " And tell Terin that he sucks at designing model fighters!"

Said padawan also appeared at the window the girl had been leaning out of. " Master Kenobi! Master Skywalker! Sorry about that! Did it hit you?"

" It did not hit us," Anakin cocked an eyebrow. He could guess what had happened. For once, it seemed, Luke was not the one _causing _the trouble. He used the Force to snap the model plane to his hand. It was chafed, presumably when it fell down from the window, but was otherwise undamaged. " Do you want this back?"

" Here, I'll take it." Luke reached out to take it. He then proceeded to jump up up three stories in order to go through the window, but he slipped as he tried to grab the windowsill and fell back down on his feet. " Ow! Gotta work on that!"

Anakin had to hand it to this boy—he did jump high enough, which was an incredible feat in itself, given the ease of which he did it. He did the same thing two more times, each time failing, before finally giving up and deciding to take the stairs.

" There are apparently some things that even Luke Skywalker cannot do." Obi-Wan chuckled in amusement.

" Remember that Senator's son?" Anakin murmured. " That time when he was visiting Coruscant, the son was playing this hologame where the character he controlled was hopping around between buildings like some Jedi on steroids."

" Oh yes, I remember that one. Fine young man—he turned out quite well, I must say."

" Oh?"

" Yes. You don't know? He became the leader of the Famine Relief Program on his planet. Young lad; I think he turned seventeen shortly before. All these young people. It is true what they say: each generation is better than the last."

The two Jedi talked a little more. It was then that Anakin felt a strange desire to open up to Obi-Wan. Here was a man who had always been there for Anakin. He felt guilty, keeping the secret of his marriage and his impending fatherhood from someone who had guided and protected him for much of his growth. _It was for the best. _He thought.

" Padawans and their hobbies." Anakin grinned. " Though my model fighters usually work well from the start."

" Luke is good at mechanics, isn't he?" Obi-Wan asked.

" Or so he claimed."

" Force, maybe he got whisked away from Tatooine to be your padawan. Are you sure you weren't cloned somehow, before you joined the Order?"

A Jedi Knight entered the gardens.

" Master Kenobi, Knight Skywalker," The knight greeted, " We have some new developments concerning the Chancellor."

The three Jedi met in the Council room where Master Windu and a few senators, including the Senator Mothma of Chandrila, were murmuring in low tones. Padme showed up a few seconds later, followed by Senator Organa from Alderaan. A few minutes later, Master Yoda also showed up, followed by the remaining members of the Jedi Council.

" What is it?" Anakin asked, as his wife gave him a warning look. " Did you locate the Chancellor?"

" We did not." Said Master Yoda. " However, we found something related to him. Senator Amidala, I believe you should carry out the explanations."

Padme looked around, her face a mask. She seemed to be examining the faces of everyone present, including Anakin, though with him it seemed to be only for appearances. Anakin suddenly felt like that nine-year-old boy who had looked up at the ethereally beautiful Queen for the first time. She was always lovely, but when she dons her politician aura, she becomes divine, larger than life, like an Angel of Justice. " Very well." She said, in her Senator voice. " However, I must be assured that there are no eavesdroppers, as this is an intelligence of the most sensitive nature."

Master Windu waved the other Jedi Knights out. When Anakin started to leave, Master Windu stopped him. " Anakin, you will remain here, as a member of the Council. Senator Amidala, please proceed."

The doors shut, the atmosphere tense, Anakin stared at his wife, feeling an anxiety curl in his stomach. She was announcing bad news. She had that slight frown on her fair face that was always present when she delivers bad news. Like that time she told him that the Chancellor now had the power to single-handedly disband the Jedi Order. Each time there was an assassination attempt on her. When the supermarket ran out of Anakin's favorite fruit for the weekend.

" What I say now," Padme began, " Must not leave this room."

Solemn silence followed this.

Definitely worse than no fruit.

" I received a tip about a contingency plan, located in the document: _Contingency Orders for the Grand Army of the Republic: Order Initiation, Orders 1 through 150, GAR Document CO(CL) 56-95._" She sounded like she was at the Senate, declaring a bill. " As all of you know, this document lists orders for all emergency situations that the clonetroopers of the GAR must execute. What we are concerned with now is Contingency Order 66. What is unique about this order is that it is the only one that deals specifically with the Jedi. I have asked Senator Organa to find information about this document. Senator," Padme passed.

" The order states the following." Senator Organa lifted the hologram. " _In the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander (Chancellor), GAR commanders will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander (Chancellor) until a new command structure is established."_

Horrified, Anakin exclaimed, " Who wrote this? How can anyone suspect the Jedi of harming the Republic? We only fought for it for all this time!"

" The bigger problem is that we do not know how this order could be issued." Senator Mothma stated. " As you may understand, this document essentially states that the Chancellor can order a mutiny against the Jedi at any time. Not only that, he alone is sufficient to not only declare the Jedi traitors, but issue the order itself; the Senate is not given the power to investigate, nor is there a way to rescind this order once given. The Jedi were to be removed by lethal force—an absolute order, with no orders about detaining the Jedi officers or otherwise disposing of them in a non-lethal manner. Disregarding whoever wrote this, this obviously gives the Chancellor the unique power of eliminating the Jedi."

Stunned silence fell.

" This is why Luke dislikes the Chancellor so much." Obi-Wan realized.

" Very little, young Luke says," Yoda murmured, " But very important, what he says is."

" Who is this Luke?" Senator Organa asked.

" He is a new Jedi recruit, from Tatooine." Obi-Wan informed the senators. " He is the one mentioned in the letter left in the Chancellor's office after he disappeared."

" The Chancellor for this boy. I remember." Senator Mothma nodded. " He must be powerful indeed."

" We have to warn the other Jedi!" Anakin exclaimed. " They have to know!"

" No." Master Yoda shook his head. " Dangerous, that is, for the other Jedi. Let the Chancellor know that we know, we must not."

" So we are going to do nothing?" Anakin cried.

" Lower your voice!" Obi-Wan hissed. " What should we do?" He asked Master Yoda.

" I would recommend that we do not inform the Jedi Officers that were dispatched." Padme stated. " However, on the part of the Order, we must begin plans for defense. Have Knights on standby for reinforcements, but do so without public knowledge. In addition, I will ask Her Majesty the Queen of my home planet to dispatch reinforcing troops to combat the stormtroopers of GAR."

" As will I." Said Senator Organa. " It will not be much, but it is better than nothing."

" I will also endeavor to supply troops from Chandrila. In addition, I recommend we consult senators, see who is on our side." Said Senator Mothma. " For those who are, we can request they dispatch troops to aid the Jedi. Our troops are only a fraction of the GAR, but as Senator Organa wisely stated, it is better than nothing, and our Jedi officers need only escape and regroup here until further notice."

" If possible, please do not reveal the purpose." Said Obi-Wan. " That they support the Jedi officers should suffice."

" Agreed, Master Kenobi."

" We should question the boy." Said another Jedi Master. " See if there is anything else he knows. He seemed to know about the Chancellor before the rest of us did."

Anakin took a moment to consider that a Jedi _Master _was asking a _fifteen-year-old Padawan _for advice.

" I think he has told us everything." He said in a high, disbelieving voice. He could barely believe this was happening. It felt like his entire world had turned upside down. " Luke is but a boy."

" Nevertheless," Master Windu replied, " The Force is strong with him. Living on Tatooine, he is sheltered from the darkness that clouds the rest of the galaxy. Perhaps the Force deemed fit to show him what it could not show us."


	13. Chapter 13

Turns of Fate

Chapter 13

They interrogated Luke during dinner. This was something Luke was not sure if he appreciated. On one hand, it was probably the best kind of environment for an interrogation. Good food, good drinks, everything was so tasty. On the other hand, their questions made it impossible to enjoy his dinner as much he would have liked. They were asking vague and pointed questions, which confused Luke. He had no idea what they were trying to get out of him.

But at least his stubbornness prevailed, and he did not leave them anything to work with. They left him alone once he finished dinner. His father/Master wanted to go back to his mother's apartment, which was something Luke could understand. He quickly made himself scarce, which actually alarmed his father at first, until he reassured his father that he was alright, that he was going to play board games with the other padawans and was not going to go out strolling through Coruscant in the night. His father actually sounded jealous, muttering that he would like to play a game or two, but he chose his wife. Which was probably a good thing, since Luke doubted his very pregnant mother would appreciate having to wait around while Anakin satisfied his boyish need to play.

Jedi _love _board games. Given that they tend to avoid hologames (for the guys), shopping (for the girls), movies/parties (for guys and girls) and regular sports (because the Jedi were simply too good for _those_) they had a curiously limited number of ways to relieve boredom when they were not training/studying/attending class/meditating/going on missions. The ways the Jedi end up amusing themselves really consisted of the following: arts and music (the latter of which could get _very _annoying), fixing random mechanical objects/creating random mechanical objects (as displayed by the awful demonstration of Terin's messed up remotely-controlled model fighter), reading books (these people love science fiction novels), and…board games.

Board games! If Palpatine had decided to use board games to defeat the Jedi, he probably could actually pull it off. No Jedi ever says no to a board game, unless they were attending class/meditating/going on missions. And when a board game starts, provided it was multiplayer, a two-person game would quickly grow into a small crowd numbering up to however many could fit around the board. Luke decided that if there were ever tournaments, or Knight trials, going on while he was here, he would march into the arena and challenge the entire Temple to a board game just to see if they would abandon the event for it. He had a feeling even Yoda would forego hunting the Siths in order to sit down and play Galactic Monopoly.

Then again, Yoda is sort of a monster in that he does not seem capable of having normal hobbies.

Leia, who Luke had regretfully neglected ever since he started training with his father, reported that _her _version of Ferus Olin had arrived on Alderaan. Vader had apparently changed his mind about leaving Alderaan, in that he was…still there, which was kind of not good.

_So what are you going to do?_

_I am currently shielding Master Olin right now._ Leia told him. _For all our quips about Palpatine being an imbecile, you have to remember that he did not become the Supreme Chancellor by pure luck._

_Ferus Olin does not strike me to be an idiot. Why is he there? Your father asked him to come, didn't he?_

_Don't go blaming this on my father._

_Oh please. Vader is for some reason hanging around on Alderaan. His close proximity to you has Bail Organa worried. He calls in Ferus Olin in order to protect you, not realizing that from _that _move, he is actually drawing more attention. Ferus Olin agrees because, well, you're you, I'm me, and we're the freaking hope of the galaxy. Good times._

_Right, I don't know why Vader hasn't left yet, _Leia ignored Luke's sarcasm and the dig at her father, _But it is making me uneasy. I heard him talking the other day about a certain Luke Skywalker. He doesn't know what happened to you, but he definitely remembers having you as a padawan, and he's getting suspicious._

_Of what? _Luke was baffled. _I mean, I'm his padawan. That itself isn't unusual. Everyone here thinks I'm his cousin because of the age gap._

_He's suspicious because he doesn't know what happened to you._ Said Leia. _As far as he knows, and I'm just guessing because he didn't say this out loud, of course, but his memories of you basically consisted only of your activities right up to this point, and they then snap back to as if you were never there. He thinks someone tampered with his memory somehow, but if he decides to start investigating, it won't be long before he traces you to our Aunt and Uncle._

_Oh Sith!_ Luke swore. He had a feeling that his aunt and uncle had been discovered already. Speaking of which, what was their reaction when he disappeared? Luke suddenly felt horrified that this had not occurred to him before. He had assumed that once he goes back to his own time, everything would be perfectly normal, but the passing of time between the two timepoints seem to coincide somehow; the same amount of time Luke experienced was identical to Leia's, down to even the hour and minute. This meant that while he was here sword-dancing with his father, his Aunt and Uncle were worried sick!

_It is just like you to lose yourself in the wonders of the last fine days of the Republic, while the rest of us are suffering through the Imperial tyranny. _Leia said dryly. _For your information, I contacted Ben days ago. He explained things to your aunt and uncle and in anticipation of you screwing up, removed them from Tatooine in case Vader came knocking._

_I love you Leia! _Luke thought sweetly, happy that his twin had taken care of his mess, the way she always does. _You are so smart, and so thoughtful, and you always seem to know what you're doing, and when this is all over I'll buy you tons and tons of flowers and plushies and dresses and lots and lots of jewelry!_

_Ew!_ _Luke, that is _not _the way to sweeten up to me! If you want to please me, start by growing up!_

_Ehhhh…that's too much to pay. Never mind._

_You are incorrigible._ His sister thought wryly.

_That's me, Luke Skywalker!_

" Luke! It's your move!"

" Right." Luke looked at the board. " Uh…what happened again?"

With some laughing groans, the other padawans told Luke the sequence of events on the board. As Luke made his move, Terin asked him, " Are you going to help the Service Corps next week? I'm guessing you didn't hear that part since you seemed to kind of zone out back there."

" The Service Corps? What are they doing next week? I don't actually know what my master has planned in terms of my training."

" There's an event next week where we collect food from donations and give them to the famine-stricken and disaster-stricken areas." Terin said. " They need a helping hand next week. Some padawans and I are going. What say you?"

" As I said. Got to ask Master Skywalker. Would love to go, but apparently my lightsaber skills…suck."

" If he said that, do not worry about it. Knight Skywalker's lightsaber skills is like a good Master Yoda joke."

Luke scowled. " How in the galaxy does that comparison even make sense?"

" Oh Luke," Laughed a female Twi'lek, " You cannot rightfully face the trials without knowing a good number of Yoda jokes. Next to lightsabers, they are the most important thing you should know."

" I think you folks are on crack." It was Luke's turn again, and he played his part as he continued, " Either that, or you really need a vacation. Besides, you people ought to have better jokes than just about Yoda."

" Oh, we do. It's just that Yoda jokes tend to be funnier. Here's one about the Sith. _The Sith Lord Tulak Hord was building his own lightsaber. He turned it on and burned his thumb and then screamed for his mother."_

_" What?!" _Luke blurted, as his sister echoed his sentiment. " That's not a joke! That's not even a real limerick! Boys! Girls! This is serious! We have to do something about this!"

The padawans were not offended by this. " Oh?" Terin smirked. " Can you make a joke that's better?"

" Not on the spot…that's not how good jokes are made, my friend."

They exchanged more jokes, some of which made Luke laugh hysterically, if only because they were so random. They played well into the night before going off to bed to sleep.

Morning dawned. Luke woke up, bright and early, before the sun was even fully up. He could not get back to sleep, so he donned his uniform and went to the training rooms with a practice lightsaber. It was a little embarrassing, not knowing how to use one—though there was definitely a range of competency among the padawans, at least all of them knew the basic moves. For Luke, starting so late had its consequences. He knew his movements were awkward and not very graceful.

Unfortunately, someone else was there. Namely, the little green gnome the Jedi padawans had spent much of last night making fun of.

" Hi." Luke wondered if he could double back. This guy is nevertheless the most powerful Jedi in existence. He was not going to make a fool of himself in front of _him. _" I uh…was just looking in."

" Planning to practice, you were." Yoda gestured. Unfortunately, he also just stood there, suggesting that he wanted to watch.

_Drat._

" Say," Luke laughed nervously, " Do you want to play a board game instead?"

" Know that trick, I do!" Yoda reproached. " Distract me, you will not!"

Luke took a moment to ponder this reaction. " So you _do _like board games?" He tried to imagine Yoda playing Basic Scrabble with Mace Windu and Obi-Wan. The sight had him cracking up before he could manage to repress his mirth.

" Important, that is not." Yoda gestured. " Practice, you should. The more practice you have, the better you will be."

_Isn't that the most obvious law of life._ Luke thought wryly. " Must you watch though?" He whined, as he stepped fully into the room. " I have a bad case of stagefright here."

" Pride, it is, that causes self-consciousness." Said Yoda. " For without pride, there is no timidity. Arrogant, you were, because of your knowledge in other areas of the Force. No need for that, and no good it does. Learn humility, you must, to become a true Jedi. A beginning, all things have, but need patience for them to grow."

Luke considered this. Yoda was right. So what, if he sucked at the lightsaber? Even if Yoda did judge him, that did not mean Yoda had the right to. He turned the lightsaber on and stared at his reflection in the mirrors that surrounded this room.

It still took a while to get started, because it was just so weird that Yoda was just _standing _there, _watching._ Finding the Force felt unnatural when it came to lightsabers, especially since he was practicing against thin air. To combat this, Luke tried to imagine he was fighting Palpatine. Unfortunately, the Emperor was not exactly the mobile type, and was more likely to just shoot lightning everywhere than engage in a lightsaber fight.

That left Darth Vader.

He had seen his upcoming fight with Darth Vader many times, and so had Leia. When it came to Vader, simply maiming him was not enough. Luke had to go all the way, release his full potential, in order to avoid being sliced into pieces. That did not mean Luke did not want to avoid killing his father somehow. He had watched the scene so much that he practically memorized the moves by heart. Bringing it to life was strange, though. After trying for a moment, Luke paused, hovering the lightsaber in front of him. _Maybe I can just use telekinesis and skip the whole thing._

He turned it off.

" Better, you are, than most, after first day." Yoda observed after a silence. " However, unwilling to learn, you are."

Luke sat down, facing Yoda. " I'm so much better at everything else. It's weird to suck at something."

" Afraid, you are," Yoda went on. " Of what you can do."

Silence.

" Why are you here?" Yoda asked.

Pondering, Luke replied, " I don't know."

" No?"

" My heart leads me one way, my brain the other. The Force makes strange things happen and sends me cryptic messages of Sith Lords holding balloons. I am just so confused. I wish there were someone to tell me to do."

" Tell you what to do, no one can." Said Yoda, though there was sympathy in his voice. " Our decisions, we must make alone."

" Yeah yeah." Luke bowed his head and sighed.

" What is your conflict?"

Luke just sighed again. In the beginning, when he first came here, he wanted to ask Yoda how to travel back to the future. Now that his priorities have changed, he was not sure if he should tell Yoda anything. In a way, changing the future was even more difficult than keeping everything the same. Certainly, it was harder to let his father continue on his fall, but at least Luke had all the information he needed. He knew what must happen and in what order and what time, and his only difficulty was actually getting things to happen the way he should. Now, once he decided he wanted to alter the future, he no longer had all the information. The timeline is now an open book, and he had no idea where each act would lead and what kind of consequences would result. _Knowing part of the information is worse than knowing nothing._ And he definitely knew only part of the information.

He was silent.

" Tell your master, you should." Yoda said to him gently. " Your mentor, he is now."

Luke stared at the Jedi Master. _Hm. Confide in a 900-year-old Grand Master Jedi, or a 22-year-old Knight/father-to-be. I wonder who will give me better advice._

He stood up and left the training rooms without a word. It was probably rude, but he did not care. Outside, he ran into Obi-Wan.

" Hello, Luke." Said the Jedi Master. " Were you training just now?"

" Trying to." Luke sighed. " I was too distracted."

" Ah." Obi-Wan smiled. " Worry not. You will improve with time." He patted Luke on the shoulder, before going down the hall.

Luke stared after him. He wanted to talk to Obi-Wan. Ever since he got here he had mostly been talking to his father, but he never really had a chance to get to know the younger, more carefree Ben. A great part of him missed the old hermit and would like to spend some quality time with him.

Oh well. There was no way to articulate that desire in a way this Obi-Wan would understand. He turned around and nearly bumped into Terin.

" I always seem to be running into you." He said to the redhead.

" Likewise. I am heading to breakfast. You are coming, right?"

" Sure. Why not."

Several younglings had an exam coming up later that day and were doing last minute studying over breakfast. A few padawans and amused knights were tutoring them. Some of them even wandered up to Luke, who found that despite having lived on a desert planet on the Outer Rim with poor schooling, thanks to all the meditations he had with Leia, he actually knew what was going on.

" I feel bad for these kids." Luke murmured when he finally had a chance to stop talking and eat.

" Why?" Terin asked.

" Because most of them would end up with the Jedi Service Corps." Luke replied. " That's a huge ' We don't like you anymore, go away' in a big way."

" The Jedi Service Corps are run by the Jedi." Terin protested. " They don't just throw away students."

" Yeah they kind of do." Luke argued. " I mean, you get taken from your family. You spend most of your childhood learning Jedi tricks in anticipation of being a Jedi Knight. Then come tournament day, and _no one picks you._ You're leftovers. Junk. They shove you with the Service Corps. If it were me, I'd just recruit as many students as I have teachers for. I mean, you might as well just leave the poor kids with their families and not give them false hope."

" Well, you never know who will end up being a good Jedi." Said another padawan. " And besides, when people are Force-sensitive, they need to be trained to handle it."

" There's still no reason to create a program especially for the unwanted. You selected them. If they didn't live up to your expectations, deal with it. Don't just shove them somewhere and pretend this never happened."

" Well, this is how things were done." Terin said uncomfortably. " It has been this way for ages, and it has worked."

" If you can call it that."

He broke off to help a cute little Zabrak youngling with a past homework problem.

" You know a lot for someone who has not studied here." Terin observed. " Tatooine's educational system must be fantastic."

" No it really isn't." Luke broke off to help another youngling. _Good grief, they are persistent! Cute, but persistent! _" I told you this already. I learned everything through meditation."

Terin stared at him. " I find that really hard to believe. What kind of visions do you have? Do you sit in on classrooms or something?"

" I once saw Yoda as a padawan." Luke thought back to that memory.

Some of the padawans started choking.

" You are bluffing." Terin accused.

" Am I?" Luke stared at him.

Terin blinked. " _Really? _What was he like?"

" Clueless." Luke replied, considering the brief vision. " I only saw a few minutes of it, I think. But I remember distinctly that he had a persistent ' What the heck?' expression on his face. His master was a crazy alien, who talked like he was drunk. But I'm not sure where Yoda got his grammar from. It wasn't from _his _master."

" Force! You saw Yoda as a _padawan_!"

Disbelieving murmurs traveled down the tables.

" Look, it's really not that big of a deal." Luke chewed. " I mean, it was only for a few minutes. It's not like he did anything impressively funny. The only thing worth noting was that Yoda's hair use to to be black and a lot fuller than it is now." Pause. " Which looked odd because it stood up like he was being electrocuted." Come to think of it, maybe that was why Yoda had a "what the heck" expression on his face.

" What! _What?! _You saw Yoda as a—_what!_"

" Guys," Luke exclaimed. He had this vision years ago and had already laughed it off, " It's seriously not _that _incredible."

" Oh go away!" Cried another padawan. " How come you get to have all the fun?"

" It wasn't fun." It had not been. Leia had been sick with a deadly virus, and they had been meditating to heal her. Laughing at Yoda had been the least of their priorities, not to mention it was a while before they even realized who they saw.

Unfortunately, the padawans were not convinced, and Luke later regretted the decision to reveal his vision when Master Yoda and Obi-Wan came along to accost him.

" Look," He said to the Grand Master, " I'm sorry I let slip that I saw you as a padawan. I didn't realize it was such a brouhaha."

Yoda was not concerned with that. " Measure your midichlorians, we will, if that is alright with you?"

Hm. Luke never knew his midichlorian levels. " Uh…sure."

By this time, his father had arrived. " What's going on?" He asked, as his wife departed again to the library. Luke wondered if she was investigating Order 66.

" They want to measure my midichlorian count."

" Oh. Well, that's not bad."

Luke was certain he would have a high midichlorian count. The question was just how high. After all, if his father was literally conceived from midichlorians, maybe he had exactly half. Ten thousand was still a good number. And this would be the first case where something other than genetic material gets transferred from the father to the child. Leia was curious too, because she wanted to know her own count based on Luke's.

And the count is a whopping…" Two hundred per cell."

" …"

" Well, that would explain my lightsaber skills but not everything else."

" Rerun it again." His father urged. " Something must have gone wrong. The average human has twenty-five hundred. This is too low for someone to even exist."

Luke had a feeling his midichlorian counts would remain low.

" One fifty per cell."

His father actually took his face and examined it. " You are alive, right?"

" Uh…"

" With midichlorians that low he wouldn't have been able to breathe, let alone use the Force."

But there was nothing to do about it. His midichlorians were even lower than a dead bantha's.

_Well!_ Luke decided. _I just blew their mind._

There were many possible reasons for his low midichlorian levels, and there was nothing Luke could do about it. His father led him to the training rooms to teach Luke more moves, but both were very distracted and the lesson did not go anywhere. Later that day, his sister looked on the holonet to see if any issues came up. She found a bunch of magazine articles on fashion and weight loss, but nothing about Palpatine.

_Maybe we should tell someone that he's on Mustafar. It doesn't seem like people are drawing the lines._

_Well I told Mom about Order 66._

_That's not going to connect anything to Mustafar until it's too late._

_Yeah, well, as long as the Chancellor is still 'kidnapped', he can't execute Order 66. Only the acting Chancellor can do that._

_That's true. _Leia agreed. _We will have to buy some time then. I'm surprised that he hasn't tried to make his location known. Or at least get our father to go look for him._

_I think I foiled his plans. How is Dad going to on the mission with me tagging along?_

_It would be perfect. You can deactivate lightsabers, he can activate lightsabers. It's a perfect duo. Then he gets his pick: you or Anakin Skywalker. It's strange. Have there been any Dark Jedi activities lately?_

_You're asking _me_?_

_Hm, good point. _Leia started looking things up. As soon as she did, however, Luke heard the faint sound of a respirator.

Oh _Sith—_

_" Princess Leia." _Darth Vader's voice boomed. _I was unaware that any lessons focused on such details of the decline of the Old Republic._

Not good not good not good. Luke waited with baited breath as Leia gathered her composure.

_" It was merely curiosity. I wished to know the exact details of how our Empire had been founded."_

Respirator sounds continued to echo through their bond. In, out. In, out. _" And what would make you believe, Your Highness, that the Dark Jedi were in any way responsible for the founding of the Empire?"_

_" It is my understanding that the Dark Jedi oppose the Jedi Order. Logically, that would mean they could potentially weaken the integrity of the Jedi."_

" Luke," His father suddenly walked into the room, " I need you to come with me."

Sith! Not now! His sister needed him!

_" And for what purpose are you studying such details?" _Darth Vader inquired.

_" I am curious, that's all."_

Another pause, save that of a respirator.

" Luke?" His father frowned. This was ridiculous! Luke was dealing with their father in the past while Leia was dealing with their father in the future, somehow simultaneously!

_" You are hiding something." _Lord Vader accused. Luke suddenly knew Leia was doomed. A wave of fear spiked through their sibling bond.

_Luke!_ His sister cried, terrified, _Help! What do I do?_

_Tell him you are hiding nothing! _Luke shouted. _Use Force Suggestion!_

As far as battle tactics went, this was the _last _advice anyone should follow when facing a Sith Lord made up of midichlorians. Not only would a Force Suggestion not work, Darth Vader would sense the attempt. The consequences would be catastrophic. He could already see Alderaan exploding._ And it would not be as amusing as the balloon…_

_" I am hiding nothing!" _Leia was too panicked to consider the wisdom of Luke's advice. She propelled the Force Suggestion, and Luke propelled it with her. The result was like swallowing something too big for the throat, except the feeling was through the head. Darkness swirled in Luke's vision and he blinked, struggling to stay upright as his sense of balance became distorted.

_" You are hiding nothing." _Darth Vader repeated, sounding as dreamy as the Sith Lord possibly could.

_" You will leave me now." _Leia continued, with another Force suggestion. Luke, racing to catch up, propelled the Force through the bond with her. His vision went black and his head felt like it was going to split open.

_" I will leave you now." _And Darth Vader…left.

Luke knew he was on the ground. He could hear his father calling him, but the sounds seemed far away. His head hurt too much. Maybe later he will consider that they had just Force suggested their father.

Wait a minute—

_Leia, did we just do that?!_

She was shocked. He was shocked. They were both shocked. _What the kreth was that?_

They had just Force-suggested Darth Vader.

They had just Force-suggested _Darth Vader._

_Holy—_

But then she blacked out. And so did he.


	14. Interlude

Turns of Fate

Interlude

Leia woke to the sound of her mother talking to the handmaidens. She sat up groggily. Her head felt like it was filled with cotton and everything looked disorienting.

" Mother?" She called, her voice sounding sleepy. Her mother quickly rushed to her side.

" Oh Leia," She kissed her daughter, " Thank goodness you are alright. You just fainted so suddenly! Obi-Wan could not tell what had happened. He said you went through something like Force exhaustion!"

" Force exhaustion?" What was Obi-Wan talking about?

_Wait—what?_

" Obi-Wan is here?" Leia's stomach froze. " What is he doing here? Is Vader still here?" _Oh no! What if the shields went down? What about Master Olin?_

" Vader?" Her mother blinked. " Who is Vader, Leia?"

Leia stared at her mother like she grew two heads. " Darth Vader?" She then paused as she abruptly understood what happened. _Before, the changes were slight. The only way to detect them were through news articles…nothing was big enough to warrant a more noticeable change._

Now, however, something had happened in the past to change things dramatically. Either Darth Vader does not exist, or Darth Vader is in hiding. The former seemed more plausible. But if Darth Vader did not exist, how come Breha Organa did not react when Leia called her 'mother'? Did something still happen to Padme Naberrie and Anakin Skywalker? And how come Leia not only could still remember the old timeline, but did not know of any other?

The latter question was probably easier to answer. She had that bond with Luke that is keeping her in check. Luke is definitely from the old timeline, and as long as he was out of sync with the actual chronology, both he and Leia were immune to the effects of change.

The former question, however…

" Is Obi-Wan here?" Leia asked, getting up from bed. " I need to speak to him."

While her mother took her to see Obi-Wan, Leia checked Luke through their bond. Her brother was still unconscious, but alive. She tried to wake him, but he seemed almost comatose. _Force exhaustion. _She thought. It is probably better for Luke to rest for now. Leia could use this opportunity to figure out what has happened.

Obi-Wan looked as Leia remembered from Luke's projections. His features were as weary from before, and his countenance solemn. However, his face lit up readily when he saw Leia.

" Your Highness." He bowed to her.

" Obi-Wan," Leia turned to the other people in the room, including her mother, " I need to speak with him privately, if that is alright."

Her mother, looking confused, reluctantly obliged. Once everyone had left, Leia checked to make sure they were truly alone.

" Obi-Wan, I am not sure how to begin." She said awkwardly. She managed to communicate the gist of what was happening, that she had come from an original timeline that had slowly been changing ever since Luke went to the past, but that something had happened to dramatically alter things and she was not sure what the history of this universe is anymore.

" I know your brother went to the past." Said Obi-Wan. " I remember him from back in the day, before you two were actually born, though I do not know what exactly happened to him."

" He is still in the past." Leia was certain of this. " Unconscious, but alive."

Obi-Wan nodded. " The last thing I remember was him going into Force exhaustion. We took him to the hospital. Your father was distraught and stayed with him as much as he could." He shook his head. " I am not sure where to begin either."

" Tell me from when Luke first appeared."

Obi-Wan recited the events that Leia knew took place. However, he mentioned certain things that Luke could not have been aware of. " After your mother discovered the nature of Order 66, she, your adopted father Senator Organa, and Senator Mothma went to their native planets to prepare reinforcements. Senator Mothma and Senator Organa correspondingly contacted various senators to probe which ones were trustworthy. We were able to gather enough of a force that when Order 66 was initiated, most of the Jedi were able to escape."

" And when was Order 66 initiated?"

" Directly after Palpatine was, supposedly, rescued by forces led by now Grand Moff Tarkin from Eriadu. Because of the Jedi's delay, he issued Order 66 with the argument that the Jedi had been the ones to abduct him, about two weeks before you were born. Luke was curiously absent from these events," Obi-Wan paused, " Though for some reason none of us noticed."

" That's because he's still in the process of changing the timeline. So Palpatine issued Order 66 two weeks before we were born? We had about five weeks…this gives about 3 weeks before the initiation of Order 66." _Although…_" Wait a minute, how long was I out?"

" You were unconscious for three days."

_So, _precisely _three weeks. _Leia thought. At least they were not unconscious for five weeks, then Luke would not have enough time to make sure their mother goes into labor. " So there is still an Empire?"

" There is an Empire. Days after he disappeared, Palpatine took over Coruscant again and established the Galactic Empire, and half of the galaxy was part of it. A full-range civil war began, with the Old Republic led by the young Mon Mothma and the Jedi Order, against the clonetroopers and the Imperials led by Palpatine."

Leia was confused. " So wait…the Jedi Order is alive?"

" The Jedi Order is much changed from what it was." Obi-Wan said quietly. " We lose so many Jedi that all Knights and Masters are required to take at least two padawans. The Jedi Service Corps had been eliminated since we no longer have students to spare."

" But the Jedi Order is alive." This meant…" So Master Windu is alive."

Obi-Wan frowned. " Yes."

" And Darth Vader?"

Obi-Wan looked puzzled again. " I am not familiar with that name."

" My father, Anakin Skywalker," Leia pushed, " He did not turn into Darth Vader, right?"

Obi-Wan considered this question for a moment, but he seemed to wonder why Leia was asking this more than how to answer. " No. He was among the first to fall from Order 66. He died a noble death." He went on gently. " He saved many younglings."

" So let me get this straight. There is an open civil war that is equal on both sides going on. There is no such thing as an undercover rebellion because there is no single government. Palpatine doesn't have my father as his apprentice, and the Jedi Order still exists and you people are not only not in hiding, but actively training padawans?"

Obi-Wan looked very confused again. Leia was grinning. " Luke managed to do it!" She exclaimed to herself. " Father never turned…he died a Jedi. The Jedi Order is alive, and changing from the old…the Empire hasn't taken over all of the galaxy. He did it. He has done it!" She grabbed Obi-Wan into a quick hug. " And my brother lives with me? He's not on Tatooine?"

" Tatooine?" Obi-Wan blinked. " Luke…"

" Oh!" Leia hugged Obi-Wan again, before running down the halls in an excited skip. " Luke has done it! Luke has done it! Luke has done it!"

" Leia," Obi-Wan held her at a distance. His countenance was solemn, and Leia felt her breath catch. Something was very wrong.

" The Republic is losing." He told her. " We lost a lot of us when you mysteriously fell unconscious. You were our only hope, Your Highness."

Leia blinked. It was his wording that bothered her, and it did not take long to figure out why. " Luke." She swallowed. " What happened to him?" Did Luke die? Was Luke dead? She could not bear it if her brother had died. _No, no, not Luke. Not Luke. Please say that Luke is alive…_

" After Order 66 was initiated," Obi-Wan sighed, " Your father perished at the Temple while the younglings were able to escape with the forces provided by His Majesty of Alderaan. Your mother was on Naboo, having gone there to inform the Queen of the situation regarding the clones. Palpatine found out she was there within two weeks and invaded Naboo. The planet was annihilated since all reinforcements had been dispatched to save the Jedi."

Naboo. Her mother's relatives were still there. " Oh Force…what happened then?" She whispered, almost afraid to know.

" Palpatine wanted to take an apprentice. Upon the death of Count Dooku, there was a vacancy. He chose the child of Anakin Skywalker, and kidnapped your mother from her homeworld. Your mother gave birth on the ship."

Shaking, Leia moved to the wall to brace herself against it. She had been born…alongside that _monster_…the thought was too terrible to believe. " How did I come to be on Alderaan, then?" She asked quietly.

" We were able to trace Palpatine's movements. Your mother was in labor by the time we attacked the ship. When we found your mother, she was giving birth to you. She died shortly from the stress. The King and Queen of Alderaan generously took you in." Obi-Wan closed his eyes. " I am sorry."

Leia stared blankly at the wall. " What about my brother?" She asked softly. " What about Luke?"

" Palpatine took off with him in an escape pod." Obi-Wan replied. " He is now a Sith apprentice. We knew of his whereabouts since you two were five years old, when you two became linked. You would often have nightmares caused by the link between you two, and the Jedi Council had to shield your mind until you learned to shield yourself. About a year ago, Darth Melanus was unveiled to the galaxy." The old Jedi's voice was filled with sadness. " He is tremendously powerful."

Leia shuddered. Of course he was powerful. He is her brother.

" The only person who could stand up to him was you." Obi-Wan continued. " You were the only one who had been able to keep the Empire from spreading too quickly, but spreading it is. It may only be a matter of time before darkness befalls the entire galaxy."

No. _No. _Anakin Skywalker going dark was bad enough. Not Luke. Not her sweet, playful, annoyingly immature yet resourceful and wise Luke. Luke was not like this. Luke pulled Palpatine's pants down. He was not going to then fall into Sidious's influence! If Luke was the one that turned, the old timeline would look like a walk through the park. _Force, this is not happening. This is not happening!_

Her brother woke up then. He was sleepy and tired. _Leia?_

Leia slid to the floor. She was too agitated to truly appreciate the sound of her brother's voice. The brother from the past. Her _real _brother. _Luke, is that you?_

She must have sounded distraught. Or perhaps Luke sensed her distress. _Leia, is everything alright? Oh crud! Were you out? Does Darth Vader know? Did he sense you were a Force—_

_Luke, Darth Vader no longer exists._

" Your Highness," Obi-Wan bent over her. Leia raised her hand to placate him. " I am talking to my real brother." She said. Then she came to her senses. " He is still in the past. These present circumstances can be changed. Let me speak with him."

Obi-Wan settled back, preparing to wait.

_Come again?_ Luke was saying. _You mean Dad never turned?_

_He died before he could turn._

Luke was silent.

_Luke, we have to fix things._

_Well is there still an Empire?_

_Yes, but—_

_And you're alive and I'm alive? What about Mom?_

_Mom is dead, but—_

_Well it sounds like it isn't too bad then. Dad died but he died a Jedi. It's a lot better than dying as a Sith._

_Luke, you're a Sith._

_Yeah so I'm a—wait, _what?!

Luke was in shock.

_No way! There is no way I would ever believe that lying creep!_

_Luke, you had no choice. He took you as a baby._

Luke was silent again.

_Drat. Did I at least have a cool Sith name?  
_

_Luke!_

_Come on! Humor me here!_

The only reason Leia obliged was because she could tell Luke was as distraught as she was. _Your name was Melanus. Darth Melanus._

_Melanus?!! _Luke thundered. _What the heck? That does it! How come I couldn't get a rockstar name, like Darth Knockout, or Darth Carnage! Yeah, Darth Carnage would… _He then trailed off. _Dang…I sound like Dad and Obi-Wan._

_I am not even going to ask. _Leia said dryly. _But suffice to say, having _you _as his apprentice is a lot worse than having Father as his apprentice. You are ten times more powerful than our father at least. And…_ she trailed off, unable to say it.

_We are fighting each other, aren't we. _Luke said it for her. Then, after a while, he muttered, _Classic good twin versus evil twin. Well, if you tell me exactly what happened, maybe I can do something about it. Maybe even change things back…to the way they were…_

_I don't think you can. _Leia said honestly. _Something happened to make Father die for the younglings instead of kill them. The best you can do, I think, is to try to kill Palpatine while you're there._

_Well, we know he's on Mustafar. Who rescues him?_

Leia told him what Obi-Wan had narrated to her.

_We are so doomed. _Luke said to her after she finished. _Like, several million different ways of doomed. So! One: Keep Dad alive. Two_: _Make sure Palpatine doesn't get Mom or us. Three: Kill the blasted corpse. We have three weeks? Right…and I don't know how to use a lightsaber. This is going to so much versions of—_ he ended with a Huttese curse.

_You were planning on beating up the Chancellor without a lightsaber. What has you worried now?_

_Oh, it's not Palpatine I'm worried about. I'm worried about whether or not he is surrounded by Dark Jedi bodyguards. Alone in his office, fine. Surrounded by Dark Jedi who actually know how to use lightsabers; not so fine. Oh — _he uttered another curse — _but we can mind control our Dad! Kreth! Do you remember that? Oh man! We can Force suggest Force-sensitives! This is wild!_

_We also passed out from the effort. For three days, in case you did not know.  
_

_Ah…yeah. Uh, we won't use it unless we have to. And not twice in a row…_

Leia glanced up at Obi-Wan. " Luke is going to take care of things." She told her friend and mentor. " I have to help him, however. I need to know every single detail of what happened in this timeline, starting from when Luke fell unconscious."

He nodded. It was strange how composed Obi-Wan always seemed around the twins. He truly was one of the greatest living Jedi. " It will be done, milady."


	15. Chapter 14

Turns of Fate

Chapter 15

" Luke," His father called him, " I know you are awake."

Luke groaned. Despite being lucid enough to talk to his sister, he was not quite awake enough to open his eyes. He blinked up at his father's face. " Argh. Hi."

His father looked weary. He must have been exhausted, between worrying about his padawan and doing Jedi stuff. Luke looked around him. He was hooked up to an IV and there was something around his other arm to measure his blood pressure. _Force, I hate medcenters._

There were a lot of other people here too. Obi-Wan, who Luke smiled at, Yoda, who Luke ignored, and…the rest of the Council.

_Huh?_

" Wow." Luke murmured. " I didn't realize I was so popular. What's going on?"

" You went into Force exhaustion." His father told him. " When you fell unconscious, your shields went down."

Luke looked at his father, and then at the Jedi Masters. _Oh Sithspit…_

Crud crud crud crud crud. _Kreth kreth kreth kreth kreth. _Hopefully the idea of time travel never occurred to them, or he would be so _dead—_

His dismay must have showed, but either the Jedi really did not know the cause, or they decided to ignore it. " Right now," Obi-Wan told him, " We are shielding you. The Sith might know you exist, but not what you are or where you are."

Oh. " Thanks." Luke blinked. " How long was I out?" He asked, for appearance's sake.

" Three days." Yoda replied. " In a coma, you were."

" How do you feel?" His father asked.

Luke looked at him, feeling nervous again. There was something odd about his father's tone of voice. It was calm, and yet devoid of any joy. " I'm good," He managed to reply. " Er…why are you all here?" He looked at the other masters. Unless Luke's coma had something to do with the Jedi Order as a whole, he had no idea why all of them were sitting in his room. And how come the medcenter just allowed them to crowd in?

" So you can tell us what to do." Mace Windu said.

Luke blinked. " Huh?"

" Your shields fell down, Luke." His father reiterated. " They fell down completely."

Well! But the way Force-signatures work, one cannot sense exact relations, just that two individuals were related. So Luke pasted a dumb look on his face. " Yeah, but you guys are shielding me, right?"

" Were you _ever _planning on telling me that you are my son?" His father exploded, to the point where some of the other Masters flinched.

One last attempt. " What gave you that idea?" Luke asked, equally loudly.

" Once Padme heard you collapsed and came to see you, it was not hard to draw the connections."

Oh. Little Luke. Identical Force signature, albeit weaker. This was it. He was done. _Game over._

" You come here and you _fool _around with me." His father hissed, looking so furious that Luke was afraid he would strike him. " You fool around with the other Jedi. You fool around with my wife—your _mother. _You consent to being my padawan and even _then_—you claim you were an orphan and yet you have _no _desire be honest with us!"

" I have no obligation to be honest with you!" Luke shot back, his father's anger agitating him to the point of panic. " You are not my parents!"

His father seemed to lung at him, but a Master, anticipating this move, quickly held him back. Then his father shrugged the other off, before turning away from Luke and running his fingers through his hair with a sigh of distress. Through their enhanced bond, Luke could sense deep hurt that not even his father's shields could hide.

" Look, Dad—ow!" Luke looked down at the needle connected to the IV. " Get this thing out of me!"

Obi-Wan obliged, while his father turned back, his eyes unusually bright and glistening. Was his father _crying?_ Oh Sith, that was _not _what Luke wanted.

" Look, Dad," Luke tried again, wincing as the needle was pulled out. It did not hurt but it felt _weird._ " It is not what you think." He looked at the other Masters. " And it's not what you guys think either. What is going to happen to him?"

" Focus on your mission, you must." Said Yoda. " Not your concern, your father is."

" I have two questions." His father regained his composure. " First. What were you doing to give you Force exhaustion?"

Luke hesitated. His father once again thundered, " _Now!_"

" I was Force suggesting a Sith." Luke managed to stammer out.

" Darth Vader?"

" Yes."

" There was no Sith at the Temple."

" Yeah, well there was no Temple where I come from!" Luke started sobbing. He was not sure why he was crying, just that he was distressed enough to.

Obi-Wan took over, resting his hands on Luke's shoulders. " Calm down." He said soothingly. " Anything you have to tell, you can tell us without fear."

Luke looked into his kind eyes. How dearly he loved Obi-Wan! When this was over he would make sure to spend some extra time with his mentor. His very presence was comforting. Releasing a breath, Luke eyed the rest of his visitors sternly.

" I will tell what I know only to my father and Obi-Wan." He eyed Yoda a little uncertainly, but decided that he was not really close enough to the ancient Jedi to confide in him. " Once we get back to the Temple, because I am _not _sticking around here even a second longer than I have to."

The Jedi did not protest. Luke was released from the medcenter with a warning never to repeat whatever he did that got him there in the first place. Obi-Wan flew Luke and his father back to the Temple. The experience was not unlike the first time when Luke had stowed away on their ship to Utapau, except his father was much more upset, and no one talked to each other, resulting in the most uncomfortable ride Luke had ever experienced despite being less cramped.

Well, except for one question and answer where Luke had asked, " So…where's Mom?" and his father replied, shortly, " She went to Naboo."

_Quite uncomfortable indeed._

_Alright, Luke,_ Leia interrupted his thoughts during the ride, _I have a map of Mustafar, which may or may not be the same map as your version of Mustafar. After discussing this with Master Yoda and Master Windu, we have determined that you should train to learn to kill Palpatine._

_Uh…Dad's mad at me. Kind of not in the mood for future-talk._

_You have no choice. _Leia snapped. _I'm not going to be stuck fighting you, Luke! _Then, without waiting for him to respond, she went on, _You should train for two weeks, to give yourself a week to kill Palpatine before he issues Order 66. Meanwhile, here is a list of all the planets who were loyal to Palpatine before the war._

_Whoa whoa whoa! Leia! I don't have pen and paper! I'm stuck in a ship with Dad who _knows I am his son and is freaking furious with me _and I cannot write this all down! We can have information exchange later, when I poke you, alright? Right now, stay put!_

They arrived at the Temple. His father made Luke walk ahead. They went to Luke's room, where his father simply stood, waiting for Luke to begin.

Obi-Wan was a bit more patient. " How are you feeling? You should sit down. Would you like some water?"

" I'm fine. I think Dad's had enough waiting." Luke looked up at his father. He did not like the closed expression. " Look," He snapped, " You don't have to act all indignant. It's not like I was any more thrilled with this arrangement than you. Besides, if I wasn't forthcoming, I never _lied._"

" You lie by omission."

" You don't want to know everything." Luke snapped. " You want to know everything? How about I tell you that _you _were the reason I was orphaned? How about that?" _No, this is not the way to start. _He sighed again, ignoring his father's stricken expression. " Dad, things were complicated."

" Start from the beginning, Luke." Obi-Wan urged.

Luke decided the best thing to do was to tell things as they were, without any commentaries. He could not bring himself to tell them the origins of Darth Vader, however, and since his father was not going to turn this time, felt it was not important. His father and mentor listened without interrupting throughout Luke's entire narration. And, because he would need their help changing Leia's current future, he told them how things have changed and which direction that was going.

" So," Luke concluded, " Unless we act as fast as possible, I am going to be Sith. I really really really don't want to be a Sith. One wonders why I put up with the old corpse this time around anyway. It seems like I'm still super powerful…despite my low midichlorian levels…"

His father turned away. Obi-Wan looked at him in concern, before turning to Luke.

" Anything you need, we will provide." He said gently. " You do not have to do all of this alone."

At this rate, Luke would not be able to even if he wanted to. He was confused about his father though. Why was his father so withdrawn? Luke had not even told him about his fall yet. Not that Luke planned to. Some things simply should never be said. " Dad?"

His father looked at him for a millisecond before walking out of the room. Confounded, Luke stared at him. " What?" He stared at Obi-Wan, who was looking in the direction of his father as he disappeared.

" You should rest." Obi-Wan told him.

Luke grabbed his hand. " Can you stay? You don't have to go away this time…" _Who knows how things will mess up this time around… _" I think he just needs time to sort things out. I haven't talked to you for _ages_…"

Obi-Wan seemed to understand. " Very well, Luke." He smiled at the boy. " I am glad to see that I have apparently made a positive impression."

" You were the barmy old wizard." Luke grinned. It was so good to _really _talk to Ben again. " What will happen to Dad? Will he get kicked out of the Order?"

" Nothing has been decided yet." Obi-Wan replied gently. " But for your part, I would recommend you not to worry about this. This is your father's affair, not yours."

" It is mine." Luke pointed out. " I need him as a Jedi. I need to learn how to use a lightsaber. And I may need him to watch my back."

" Something tells me he will do all of that whether or not he remains in the order." Obi-Wan smiled at Luke. " Do not worry. Things will work out."

But Luke had reason to doubt him, as his father apparently decided to start avoiding him. At first Luke was completely and utterly baffled. He sat in the cafeteria later that day to compile the list of planets Leia had gathered for him, but he was mostly distracted by wondering what could have caused his father to reject him like this. Was he still mad that Luke never told him?

" Hello Luke," Someone said cordially.

" Hey Luke!"

Luke looked up in surprise. It was Ferus and Terin.

" You are looking lonesome here." Terin grinned. " Mind if we join you?" He sat down next to Luke without further permission. " Why aren't you joining the other padawans?"

" Oh. Didn't feel like it." Even to Luke, his voice sounded despondent.

The master and padawan paused at this.

" Is everything alright, Luke?" Ferus asked. " We heard you were Anakin's son, that you traveled back in time. Are you getting homesick?"

He was asking with genuine concern. If only things were that simple. " He's not talking to me. He's been avoiding me ever since I explained things. I can't understand why."

Terin, who looked ready to goof off, sobered at this explanation. Sensing an awkward moment coming up, he used Luke's favorite means of avoiding conversation and took a huge bite of his sandwich. Unfortunately, it was a little too big, so he started gagging a few seconds later.

Ferus and Luke dutifully ignored him.

" I cannot claim to know Anakin well." Ferus said to Luke. " He has always been more of an enigma to the rest of us than anything else, with the exception of, perhaps, a nuisance. In any case, as a Knight similar in age and experience, I would have to say that his reaction has less to do with you and more to do with the situation itself. You are fifteen years old, and three days ago we all thought of you as a brother to us. All of the sudden we learn that you are in fact, his son from the future. He does not know how to behave around you now. He knows he is a father and he should act like one, but he does not know how."

Just then, Luke's father entered the cafeteria. He looked once at the table where the three of them sat, before moving on without acknowledging any of them. He got his tray and headed out again.

Luke took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He was just too confused to deal with this. He had a father to save. He had himself to save. He had a galaxy to save. He grabbed his temples and thought he really ought to stop caring.

Ferus and Terin went back to eating. The moment was too awkward. Luke finished his meal, collected the list of planets, and went to look for Yoda.


	16. Chapter 15

Turns of Fate

Chapter 15

_" This is Lada Baer reporting in from the Sixteenth Fleet. Confederacy forces have been eliminated in the Hoth sector."_

Anakin wrote down the name. " Copy, Knight Baer. This is Anakin Skywalker of the Jedi Council. Please state your present coordinates."

She did, and Anakin jotted that down.

" The Council has new orders in the event of emergency. Maintain your position until further notice. A Republican fleet will be joining your ranks. Demote all officers of the GAR and replace with those of the Republican fleet. Code-greeting is ' Anti Force'. Response is 'Anticontigency'. Trust no one who does not know the matching greeting."

A silence, as he expected. " If I may, Knight Skywalker, for what purpose was this order given?"

" I cannot divulge that at this time." Anakin replied. " Suffice to say, this is for your safety as well as that of the Jedi Order. Report only to the Council from here on. When the Republican fleet has arrived, report to us at that time."

" Understood, Knight Skywalker."

The connection was closed. Anakin leaned back in his chair. That was one more Knight who would hopefully be saved. He rubbed his eyes, feeling weary. He had been doing this for several hours each day ever since Luke had fainted from Force Exhaustion. They had no idea about the connections Palpatine had in the government, and whether any of their movements would be tracked. The best way to warn all the Jedi officers without getting caught was to wait for them to report back to the Council on the encrypted frequencies. Anakin was one of those who would monitor these calls and provide instructions for the Jedi Officers. He was not allowed to divulge the conspiracy intelligence, in case the transmission was tapped.

He felt like he was not doing enough, but Padme told him this was the best he could do, and to do any more could be disastrous. Coming from someone as experienced and talented as his wife, Anakin could not argue.

_Oh well. Soon I might not even be a Jedi. _It felt odd, how disappointing this thought was. Before, Anakin had been thinking of leaving the Order voluntarily in order to take care of his wife and children. Now, though, the fact that he might be forced out instead, left a bitter feeling in his heart. It was not Luke's fault, but still, he could not help but think that he would have things more in control if the boy had simply told him earlier about their relationship.

So far, the Jedi Council had not made any decisions on the matter. They knew Luke was here with a goal, and they had opted to allow Anakin to remain in the Order as long as Luke remained in this time period. Once Luke leaves, however…

He could not believe the boy did not _trust _him. After everything Anakn had done, all the worries and all the care he had lavished on the child. Which was not much, given the short time period, but still. Anakin had trusted Luke. Why did Luke not trust him back?

The door opened, and Anakin quickly hid the datapad. It was Ferus, who was not aware of there being any Order 66 or any plot to combat it. The Council had decided it was better for most of the Order not to know, something that irked Anakin greatly. Or would have, if his wife had not also agreed with this decision. Now, he was just confused.

He was _so _confused.

Unfortunately, Ferus Olin was an expert at saying exactly what Anakin did not want to hear.

" I was with Luke earlier." The Knight said in a dry tone. " Guess what he was doing?"

" Eating, as usual?" Anakin murmured, shutting off the datapad. He was not in the mood to talk about Luke. Not after…not after Luke turned his back on him…" What are you doing here? I'm busy."

" Oh yes, that would explain why he was eating _alone._" Ferus had the gall to rip the datapad out of Anakin's hands. Fortunately for Ferus, he did not turn it on, otherwise Anakin was certain that, colleague or not, he was going to kill the other man. " Mind you, it was not the boy's lack of charm. Apparently a whole bunch of padawans had invited him to sit with them. He turned them all down."

Anakin snapped the datapad back into his hands with the Force. " What is your point? Do you even have one?"

" Your son was in a coma for three days after going through Force exhaustion and you actually are _too busy _to deal with him?"

Anger spiked in him. " It might have escaped your notice," Anakin hissed, " But some of us have duties to the galaxy. However long I remain a Jedi, I intend to fulfill it."

" Oh that is very noble." Ferus hissed back. " You are avoiding him for the sake of the galaxy, and not because you are a rotten coward."

Anakin suddenly swung an arm toward Ferus, slamming the other Jedi into the far wall. " You have no idea what you are talking about. _You _are the coward, always following rules, never willing to risk anything to do what you believe is right!"

" And you think avoiding Luke is right?" Ferus shoved Anakin back roughly. " You are so full of yourself, Skywalker." He snapped viciously. " Why _are _you upset at Luke? Are you disappointed that your son ended up just like you?"

" What? No!"

" Then are you upset because he did not risk his very existence to tell you who he was?"

" He would hardly be risking his existence."

" No? Just what do you think time travel is, Skywalker?" Ferus laughed in disbelief. " You think it is the same as walking through the gardens? You're a fine one to be indignant about someone keeping secrets from you. So you are married to the Senator of Naboo! You are fathering not only one child, but two children! What else have you been keeping from us, Skywalker? Were you sleeping with all the lovely women from Coruscant?"

That was it. Anakin activated his lightsaber. Ferus's training allowed the other man to block with his own activated blade.

" How _dare _you," Anakin growled, his vision tunneling in rage, " How dare you defile my name this way!"

" You are defiling yourself more than I ever could. Your son does not come running to you for everything, so you decide to give him the cold shoulder in a fit of childish anger."

" He does not trust me!" Anakin threw Ferus's blade away. " If he does not trust me, I am not bothering!"

" So you will begin your fatherhood with conditions for your children!" Ferus held his blade to the side. " I know you, Skywalker. Deep down, under all that pride and power, your talents with the lightsaber and your cocky attitude—you are a slave from Tatooine." Anakin snapped his head around, but Ferus went on, " You were born a slave and you always thought of yourself as a slave. You know how I know? Nothing is ever enough for you. Because you perceive only other people's derision. Every time someone disagrees with you, you take that as a personal insult, because once upon a time I would wager someone did not agree with you simply because you were a slave and not worthy of their notice. You think every criticism, every reprimand, is some kind of comment about how you are not as good as anyone else. You break the rules because you are afraid no one would notice you if you were a good little boy like the rest of us. You go around with your foolish heroics in order to prove that other people are _wrong_, that you are not just as good as the rest of us, you are _better_, and any time you make a tiny mistake, instead of looking inside yourself to correct your wrongs, you blame it on other people. Because _Force knows, _the universe just owes it to you! It made you a slave for the first nine years of your life!"

" You know nothing!" Anakin snarled. " You know nothing about me, or my past!"

" I might not have been a slave!" Ferus yelled, and it was the first time Anakin had ever seen the other lose his temper. " I might not have had a family, but I know that Luke does not deserve to suffer for _your _insecurities! You think everything is about you! You think that he had insulted you as a son by not coming to you from early on. Are you _thick?!_ Has it ever occurred to you that your _son _might have been frightened out of his mind? Did you ever consider that your son never told your mentor, never told Master Yoda, never even told your wife—his _mother—_about his relationship with _anyone _here?"

Anakin heard enough. " Leave, now." He warned, and pointed his blade at Ferus, " Or I will run you straight through."

" Fine. But I will say this first." Ferus deactivated his lightsaber. " Your wife is very pregnant. She could go into labor any time. From what anyone can deduce of time travel, it is probably safe to assume that Luke came from a future that no longer exists. Once she goes into labor, he may no longer exist. He could effectively die, and the last thing you might be able to do for him, at this rate, is ignore him as he fades to whatever horrific realm it is that does not exist. And another thing," He went on, " You might consider that Luke _is _your padawan, that he agreed to train with you, that he has been bearing the burdens of whatever future he had and no doubt there were plenty of things he would like to change. Such as the fact that he was an _orphan_. So while you are here behaving like a toddler on a tantrum, your son has been compiling a list of planets during his mealtime, _by himself_, and no doubt all of the earlier stunts that he pulled during which you were _decent _enough to worry about him had been attempts for him to make a better future for all of us, _by himself._ You might consider that should we be unfortunate enough to continue to be graced with your presence many years from now, your son, as a teenager, would be keeping many secrets from you just like every other teenager in the galaxy. So please, consider how you are currently being an _absolutely stellar _father right now."

Ferus turned away from Anakin with an expression of satisfaction, which quickly morphed into dismay. Anakin, feeling a bit stupid and upset at himself upon hearing the rather valid lecture from _Ferus _of all people, glanced at where he was looking and hurriedly turned off his lightsaber, for Yoda was standing at the doorway while Ferus had been lecturing him.

" Master Yoda." Ferus bowed sheepishly. Anakin just swallowed.

_Drat._

" The communication systems, I need." Yoda cleared his throat, obviously deciding to ignore what had just transpired. He was holding a datapad.

" Yes, Master Yoda." Anakin stepped aside. The two Jedi watched the Grand Jedi Master for a moment.

Anakin looked at Ferus. His earlier anger had dissipated at Ferus's look of dismay. The other had honestly not intended for this to reach outside ears.

" Will Luke really…disappear, after this?" He whispered to Ferus anxiously.

" I don't know." Ferus replied. " But it is a possibility."

Anakin sighed. " What am I supposed to say to him?"

" You can start by offering to help with whatever he is doing."

" Does he even want my help?"

" He is a teenager. Teenagers never want their parents' help."

Despite Anakin's turmoil, he managed to chuckle. He could recall a few cases where he had been extremely annoyed with Obi-Wan's 'over-helpfulness'.

" It must be hard." Ferus finally opted for sympathy. " He is only six, seven years younger than you."

" I'm not sure if I'm weirded out, or angry, or hurt, or upset, and in which order…Padme would know what to do."

" I doubt it." Ferus stated.

Anakin thought about it for moment and had to agree. He had never seen Padme cry like that before, and by 'cry like that' he meant a ind of odd sound that sounded like she was laughing, screaming, wailing, and whimpering at the same time. It was the oddest noise he had ever witnessed his wife make.

" My suggestion would be to think of him as your padawan." Said Ferus. " And when in doubt, recall that he was an orphan. He does not have any expectations of you as a father because he does not know what kind of father you will be."

" That is not very comforting."

" Think of it this way." His friend told him. " This may be Luke's only chance to be loved by his father, and your only chance to love your son. Do not waste it."

A kind of calm settled over Anakin then. Ferus was right. Padme was due in a mere few weeks. Luke came to the past where his parents could help him. The last thing he needs is for Anakin to be cowardly and selfish.

" I'm sorry I attacked you earlier."

" Oh, don't worry about it." Ferus stepped slowly out, while Yoda continued typing in the coordinates in the communication systems. As the two Jedi exited the room, he went on, " It was worth it. I have been dying to yell at you for years. You are an insufferable bastard."

" Thanks." Anakin said dryly.

" Your welcome. Let me know if you need anything." Ferus walked away.

" Burn in hell!" Anakin called to him.

" You too!"

Anakin, smiling a little, turned around when Ferus disappeared. _Now there was a good friend, _he decided. He then blinked when he saw Luke, who was heading into the communications room. Realizing that the earlier exchange might not have been entirely appropriate for his impressionable son, he stammered, " L—Luke, hi."

The child blinked his startled blue eyes at Anakin. " Oh, hi…"

An awkward silence fell. Before Anakin knew this boy was his son, such silences never occurred.

But now he knew. And he was the father. He cannot expect Luke to solve everything. " Say…I am still on call for another two hours…but what say afterwards you and I go to the training rooms? Your lightsaber skills…need improvement."

The boy blinked again. " Oh…" He paused uncomfortably. " What are you on call for?"

" Incoming calls…from the Jedi Knights." Anakin managed to explain what he was doing. As he did, Yoda stepped out.

" Ah." The old Jedi nodded at them, before walking away. Luke and Anakin stared after him with identical expressions on their faces.

" Why does he need a cane?" His son asked him in a whisper.

" Lure others to a false sense of security?" Anakin whispered back.

And with that, the ice was broken. Everything just _felt _alright again. No matter what their relationship, Anakin decided, Luke will always be that lovable, cheery young lad that Anakin had grown fond of despite not knowing who he was. He was proud to have sired a child like Luke.

" Can I talk to the other Jedi Knights on the comm?" His son asked with a mischievous grin.

" No."

" Aw."

" Maybe when you are actually fifteen."

His son stuck his tongue out at him. " Can I listen anyway?"

Anakin smiled. His son wanted to be with him. This, alone, made up for everything. " Sure." He nodded. " But if you try any of the funny stuff, let me warn you; I know all the tricks in the book."

" I wouldn't dream of messing up something big like this." Said Luke.

An incoming transmission rang then. Anakin ruffled Luke's hair with a smile before heading in. His son sat down next to him.

_" This is Jojel Aiva of the third fleet reporting from the Dantooine system."_

His son leaned forward on his arms as Anakin replied, with a wide grin he could not repress, " This is Anakin Skywalker of the Jedi Council. Please state your coordinates."


	17. Chapter 16

Turns of Fate

Chapter 16

His father ended up being an incredible teacher. Once the threat of using his lightsaber against his father disappeared, Luke was much more willing to start using the thing. It must have showed, somehow, for at one point, Yoda actually observed, " Gone, the grief in you is."

Which actually clarified a lot of things, namely why Luke had been depressed in the first place. He had not even really noticed the burden on his heart until it lifted.

_I won't have to kill my dad. _Luke thought, with a somewhat wry feeling. _What kind of son thinks like this? _But all the same, he _did _not have to kill his father now, and the thought of that was far more relieving than anything else Luke had ever experienced. He felt light and far more cheery than he had been almost all his life, which ironically, mellowed his prankish tendencies. He was willing to sit back and enjoy life now, spend this precious time with his father and get to know Anakin Skywalker without the shadow of Darth Vader over him. The Force was truly with him, this time around.

And his dad not only ended up being a very effective teacher, but a very fun one as well. There was rarely a lesson where Luke had not laughed at some point. With their father knowing everything, Leia was also free to talk to her father through Luke, though the time gap prevented her from speaking to their father directly. For once, she did not have to shut herself away whenever the three of them meditated together, and during these visions, though she still could not talk to anyone but Luke, they could all feel her, which was a comfort. Save for the fact that Luke's mother was on Naboo, they were a family, one that Luke had never dared dream of.

But there were bigger issues at hand than the family. Luke was learning fast, but five weeks was absurdly short, and even with Leia's help he was not advancing fast enough. He was going to have to rely on his other skills.

Time draws near, and both Luke and Leia could feel it. It was not long before three weeks have passed. Palpatine was due to issue Order 66, but thankfully, the loyal planets of the Seswanna sector were able to intercept Tarkin's fleet from Eriadu thanks to Leia's timeline. Other planets allied with the Confederacy were investigated by the Senate, and one by one, Palpatine's political connections were cut off.

Unfortunately, this did not seem to do much to the timeline. According to Leia, Luke was still a Sith (although he had supposedly "disappeared" for about four weeks so far), there was still a galactic civil war, and the Empire was still winning. The only difference was that Palpatine started off with a much weaker force to build his empire, therefore only conquering half of the galaxy. He was still Supreme Chancellor in Luke's time, despite the Jedi's misgivings, and therefore most of the galaxy still supported him. The Jedi could not just take him away, and when Luke had briefed his father and Obi-Wan, he had not told either Jedi that Palpatine was a Sith Lord, or that he was on Mustafar, because if he did, he was certain the Jedi would hunt Palpatine down. This, because of how the Force worked and how there was a need for a new government and Jedi Order, was not something Luke wanted. He needed Palpatine to do what needed to be done, cause a little chaos and havoc, and then have his younger self go in and kill the old bastard and start from scratch the way things were _meant _to go.

His sister thought he was acting like his father. _This is how our Dad failed as a Jedi. He is always assuming other people don't know any better.  
_

_They don't. They trusted Palpatine._

_…That is true, but still, I think they've learned their lesson. And when was the last time you can boast Yoda listening to you?  
_

Actually, Yoda (while still the scariest living thing to ever walk the galaxy,) was a very good listener. It turned out that after teaching the ridiculous number of younglings as he had, he developed a patience for listening to what he must have thought were nonsense.

_It's not Yoda I'm worried about. _Luke told her. _As you so kindly pointed out, our Dad is always assuming other people don't know any better, despite very _very _strong evidence arguing that they do. Telling the Jedi would mean telling Dad, because he's on the freaking Council. Ergo, hothead disasters forthcoming._

_You know how to use the word "ergo"?_

It figures that his sister would focus on that rather than something important. Snobby princess.

_Yes, I know how to speak Basic, woohoo._

_Well in that case, if it's Dad you are worried about, either you can go yourself, or you can send one Jedi over there to retrieve the Chancellor, at least. He's already late on Order 66, which might mean that our father will survive. In fact, you can get Father off Coruscant, have him go to Naboo, that way he can protect her.  
_

_Or, I can kidnap Yoda. _Luke entertained the thought for a while.

_You…want to _kidnap _Yoda._

_Yeah. I can steal a ship, levitate Yoda into it, and zoom off to hyperspace toward Mustafar. He's short. He can't be that heavy._

_You want to _kidnap _the Grand Master Jedi. The greatest Jedi of all time._

_Yup._

_How exactly is this different from simply telling Yoda to go to Mustafar?_

_It's more fun this way. _

He sensed his sister slap her forehead with her palm.

Of course, Yoda _is _the scariest monster in the galaxy, and Luke was not going to _actually _go through with it, but still, the thought was amusing. He spent some precious time imagining what that would be like. First, he would find Yoda. Then, he would steal the Jedi's walking stick. Yoda would have no choice but to give chase, and Luke would lead it to a fighter. Then, without warning, he would levitate Yoda into the cockpit, jump in himself, and take off, effectively stealing Yoda from the Temple.

_You realize what will happen then. _Leia broke into his thoughts, and portrayed the scene where Yoda proceeds to steal the stick back from Luke now that they were within close proximity of each other, and then beat Luke's head with the stick until Luke lands again.

Luke shuddered. _Ugh! Scariest thing in the galaxy!_

Still, he only had two weeks to finish what he came here to do. He was not even sure what that is, not that he ever was. He knew what had to be accomplished, of course. He must rescue his Dad. He must rescue himself without jeopardizing Leia. And if all goes well, he should try to rescue his Mom too, though given that she died in both versions of the timeline, he was not sure if she was just going to die anyway. And there was also the matter of keeping the Emperor alive, but not so powerful that he destroys the whole galaxy. Good times.

_How the Force am I supposed to do all this?_

His father found Luke in the cafeteria where Luke spent most of his time jotting down lists of updates from Leia to present to the Jedi Council.

" Luke?" His father sat down next to him. " I can tell you are exhausted. You should rest."

" I don't have time to rest, Dad." It felt good to be able to call his father 'Dad' now. It was almost like bragging that he had one. Something Luke had never been able to do in the past.

" Is it the fact that you are due?" His father asked cautiously.

" Yes." Luke nodded. " And the Force hasn't told me anything about what I should do. I haven't gotten any visions about anything ever since Darth Vader."

" All the same, tiring yourself out is not going to do anyone any good."

Luke sighed. His father rubbed his shoulder.

" I am going on a mission with Obi-Wan." He said to the boy. " I want you to remain here this time."

" What? Why?" Luke frowned. " I thought padawans were supposed to accompany their masters on missions."

" Not all the time, son." His father smiled apologetically. " And your lightsaber skills are not ready."

Luke scowled. " Hello? General Grievous? Didn't really need one then."

" Yes, but you weren't fighting trained Jedi."

Luke blinked. " You are hunting down Dark Jedi?" He turned around to face his father. " But can't I help anyway? They don't know about my Force waves. And I have a lot of other tricks too."

" I know. But you went through Force exhaustion once already. I don't want to risk you going through it again."

" I was Force suggesting a Sith! This is different!"

" Luke, have you ever been in combat situations before with other Force-sensitives?"

The boy blinked. " No…"

" You have a lot of power. No one can dispute that—"

" My midichlorians can though." _Wait…that was probably not the best comment to use for my argument._

His father looked annoyed. " No one can dispute that you have a lot of power. That being said, the techniques you use also require a lot of power. Just because you _can _do something does not mean you should. For example, Force-suggesting a Sith—that nearly killed you. If we hadn't gotten you to the hospital in time, we would have lost you. Do you understand?"

Luke swallowed. " But that was different."

" It was." His father said indulgently. " But so is this. In our training sessions you never used your Force waves on me too much, because you were not fighting for your life. In this case, how many force waves can you produce before you collapse? Do you know this?"

Luke frowned. " But I can deactivate lightsabers. I can break them!"

" Yes. One by one. When you are not distracted by droids firing lasers at you. Son, you simply are not familiar with the battlefield. You were lucky with Grievous, because all the droids were distracted by the clonetroopers, and Grievous is a droid himself. This mission is simply too dangerous."

" Well what about you? What if you die…?"

His father took Luke's head in his hands and kissed his forehead. " I won't leave you an orphan, Luke, or your sister. I promise you. Just stay safe. I will be back soon."

Luke closed his eyes, feeling a tingle where he was kissed. He felt like he was wrapped in a warm, comforting blanket and sipping Aunt Beru's warm soup on a freezing desert night.

His father let him go, and Luke left his datapad on the table to follow his father out. There was a ship prepared; the two of them were going alone, without clonetroopers. His father waved at him from the copilot's seat before shifting his attention to helping Obi-Wan lift off.

Luke was left with the feeling of foreboding.

The padawans were in the middle of training. Luke decided to test his fledgling skills against one of them. It ended up being Terin, who beat Luke in the matter of minutes. Of course, Luke had not been using his other skills, but still!

" You are pretty good!" Terin exclaimed despite it all. Luke supposed that for someone who had trained for about three weeks, he did an impressive job. Still, compared to how easily Luke was able to dispose of Grievous, his loss against Terin was a brutal blow to his ego.

_No good, it does! _Yoda's voice echoed in his mind as he thought about his abused pride.

Alright, fine, his ego was not important, but still!

" I don't have that much time." Luke paced, deactivating his lightsaber. " And my Dad just went off on a mission without me. This sucks."

" He is a member of the Council, still." Terin pointed out. " My Master also goes off on missions without me sometimes. When I first started training with him, he would almost never bring me with him except to diplomatic missions. Later, though, as I got older, he started to bring me to more military missions. You can't expect people to just throw you into danger."

" I know. I just feel that there's something I must do, and I'm not ready for it yet, and I'm running out of time."

Terin was thoughtfully silent for a moment. " Maybe you should meditate on this."

" That's all I've been doing!" Luke paced back and forth. " I'm starting to think maybe the midichlorian levels weren't a bluff after all. I see absolutely nothing, and I'm normally pretty good at meditation!"

" Maybe you're not supposed to do anything. And just let things happen."

Luke shook his head. " That does not feel right either."

_Luke! _Leia's voice rang through his brain. She was excited about something. _I know a way for you to come back. Well, once you finish your mission._

_Oh? How do I get back?_

_Well, remember Qui-Gon Jinn?_

_How can I not remember Qui-Gon Jinn? He's only the Jedi responsible for all this!_

Leia giggled. It had been a long time since she last laughed. A few weeks, to be precise, ever since Luke first pulled down Palpatine's pants that created all these problems. _Well, his spirit has learned how to become one with the Force, and he taught Master Yoda and Obi-Wan. I didn't know this until today, and Obi-Wan taught it to me so I can teach it to you!_

_One with the Force? Doesn't that mean dying?_

_Well, yeah, but you have to be One with the Force in order to be born, you know. Otherwise, where will your spirit come from?_

Good point.

_It's a way to join the Force without actually dying, however. _Leia clarified. _You just…go. And your body disappears too. You leave this realm for the next voluntarily._

Hm.

" Yoohoo!" Terin was calling. " You're talking to your sister, aren't you? Ugh."

Luke ignored him. _So explain to me this…Force oneness thing. How to do it?  
_

Leia obliged. Terin sighed and started practicing on his own as Luke listened. The steps were complicated, and he had a feeling he was going to have to meditate with her later.

_Dad is away on a mission. _Luke told her unhappily. _He thinks I'm not ready for it._

_Hm? I wonder which mission it was._ Luke sensed her look this up. He lost interest when she was forced to browse through various recipes for cake at different atmospheric pressures.

" I am going to meditate." He told Terin, flopping down on the training floor. Hopefully he would get the hang of this joining the Force idea and be able to use it when the time comes. Whenever it was.

Instead of successfully learning everything Leia taught him, however, he ended up seeing something else entirely. All of the sudden, he was standing on Mustafar, on one of the islands floating above a river of lava. Around him were all the Sith Lords except Sidious, including a disgruntled looking Count Dooku and Darth Maul, whose upper body kept falling off, forcing him to put himself back together again. Count Dooku's head also kept falling off, and in fact, all the Sith were deformed in some way.

_" I hate fish!_" Cried one of them. _" Fish are disgusting! Why does every aquatic planet have fish?"_

_" Uh…" _Luke looked around, _" What are you guys doing here in my vision?"_

_" What, you think we wanted to be here, you brat?" _Growled another Sith Lord, holding his leg in the air. _" We have better things to do then guide a filthy Jedi!"_

_" That's…very nice. So why don't you just leave?"_

Count Dooku took his hands off his head to say, _" Anakin Skywalker is meant to bring balance to the Force, but only either by actually dying, or enslaving himself to Palpatine. If he goes and—oof!" _His head fell off and nearly rolled into the lava. His headless body started running around searching for it. _" I can't see where my body is going!"_

Luke actually considered helping, but then decided he really did not want to. As Count Dooku continued to run around, another Sith Lord went on, _" If Anakin Skywalker because a Sith Master, which he will if you keep him alive, the galaxy will implode. We would not mind that as much, except we need a galaxy to exist if the Sith are to continue to exist."_

_" Since when did you care about each other?" _Luke asked. _" You guys are dead!"_

_" You see how we exist?" _One of the Sith, a female, from the looks of it, gestured at herself with her single arm. _" That is only because the Sith exist. Once the Sith stop existing, our side of the Force disappears."_

Oh, indeed. Of course, the Sith were only concerned about themselves.

_" You must not let Anakin Skywalker turn into a Sith Lord!"_

_" How the blazes is he going to be a Sith Lord?!"_

_" You have to catch the fish!"_

_" You have to catch _the _fish!" _Cried another.

_" The fish! The fish! The fish!"_

Count Dooku, who found his head, started jumping up and down. _" The fish, Luke Skywalker!" _And his head fell off again. _" Ow!"_

Darth Maul, the only quiet one, grimly held out a hand. He was holding a huge fish by its tail. It started wiggling in his grasp. _" Catch the fish! Catch the fish!" _the others continued yelling. The fish suddenly slipped out of Maul's grasp.

_" Oops." _Maul hurriedly bent down to grab it again, which only resulted in his upper body falling off.

Luke woke from the trance with a loud groan.

" Something wrong?" Terin asked, breaking off from his kata.

" Just my visions been…more bizarre, than usual." Luke muttered. " And absolutely _not _helpful whatsoever."

Leia poked at him, wondering what he was up to. Luke showed her the vision.

_I think the Force is messing with us._

_Would the Force actually do that?_

" Do you want to practice again?" Terin offered. " It would take your mind off things."

_I know that fish…_Leia suddenly stated slowly, a feeling of agitation racing through their bond. Luke froze.

_Is the type of fish important somehow?_

_It's the Emperor Kingfish, from Naboo. _She said slowly. _If you are supposed to catch the Emperor somehow…maybe this vision is telling you to go to Mustafar._

_I'm not listening to a bunch of mutilated Sith! I'm not that stupid!_

_Luke, no one understands the destructive nature of the Dark Side better than those who use it. And as you pointed out to them, they only care about themselves. They would not further the Sith culture just for the sake of it—they don't care. They do care about themselves, and you and I both know that if the Dark Side exists, so will the Light Side. Helping them means helping ourselves._

Huh. Catch the fish. Maybe even kill it. Save his father _and _save the galaxy. Maybe even save himself. After all, no Palpatine, no Darth Melanus. Leia was right. The Sith exist for a reason—certain things they do _are _in the best interests of the galaxy.

" Luke? You're talking to her again aren't you?"

The decision was split-second, and absolute.

" I have to go." Luke whirled around.

" Where?" Terin followed him.

" I have to take a ship!"

" What? Without your Master? You cannot just go and fly off planet! You have to talk to Yoda first, at least!"

" I've lost enough time as it is!" Luke raced down the hall, past the other Jedi, who turned giving the two padawans a puzzled look. He arrived at the hangar within minutes, and looked at all the ships. _Leia! Which ship has a hyperdrive?_

_The yellow one! _Leia was alarmed. His sister was not expecting this. _But Luke—you are going by _yourself?!

Luke ignored her. He ran toward the yellow fighter. Terin then arrived, a little out of breath.

" Luke! What—you can't just fly out like this!"

" I can and I will!" Luke used the Force to yank the gates open as he hopped into the cockpit. Instantly, the alarms started blaring. Luke did not have much time.

_Luke what the heck! Are you kidding me? This is not what I meant by listening to the vision!_

Luke ignored her.

Terin stood at the copilot's side. He turned on his lightsaber.

" Luke, turn off the engines and stop this right now! You are violating protocol!"

" If you haven't noticed, I don't freaking care!" Choosing not to destroy the lightsaber, he instead turned it off with the Force. He then pulled the lever. Terin fell into the cockpit as he tripped in alarm. Luke did not care, and he lifted the ship off the ground. By the time the other Jedi ran into the hangar, Luke had slipped through the gates and emerged in the wide Coruscant skies.

" Force!" Terin swore from the back of the cockpit where he had slammed into when Luke accelerated, " We are going to be in so much trouble!"

There was a heavy draft coming from the open door. Luke shut it with telekinesis.

_You are behaving like our Father! Think before you act! What have I told you about not doing anything stupid? _His sister was furious.

_I object!_ Luke broke through the atmosphere and the pull of gravity. _I never do anything stupid! Now tell me the coordinates for Mustafar!_

_Are you kidding? I am not going to help you with this!_

Luke cursed. Thankfully, the systems had the coordinates to Mustafar already. _How convenient! _He punched in the numbers.

_What about our father?!_

_This is for our Father, Leia. _Luke pulled the hyperdrive lever. The stars streamlined and he heard Terin groan. Then they were in hyperspace.

_I cannot believe you just hijacked a plane. And kidnapped a padawan to boot! It's official! You're a complete retard!  
_

_Half as good as kidnapping Yoda. _Luke quipped. His sister slammed her head against her palm again. _Time to go fishing._

Spontaneity rocks.


	18. Chapter 17

Turns of Fate

Chapter 17

There were many things that could be worse in this mission. He could be stuck on Hoth. He could be stuck on Mustafar. He could be stuck in a swamp. After all, all of these scenarios have one thing in common: the climates were atrocious. Here in the factory on the planet of Bassadro, which, while a volcanic world like Mustafar, at least had facilities that dispel the heat.

They were hunting down two Dark Jedi, which had evolved from the one known Dark Jedi the Council had been able to trace. Currently they were leading them on a chase. Obi-Wan had branched away in order to find an alternate route to cut them off, leaving Anakin to pursue directly. But the long winding halls made it difficult to use Force speed, and many a time Anakin was forced to run along the walls in order to compensate for the momentum.

He was suffering a burn through his shoulder, courtesy of a very tall and lanky Dark Jedi, and had landed on one of his feet too hard causing the nerves to spike up very painfully. He started limping a little as he continued to pursue the dark signature in front of him. _Curses!_

Suddenly, the lights in the factory went out, leaving him in complete darkness. Anakin turned off his lightsaber, knowing that it would draw attention. He steadied his breathing and listened.

_Wish Luke and Leia were here. _He thought. At the same time, however, he was glad his son was not here. It was one less person to worry about. Luke may be more powerful than Anakin (whatever the midichlorians said) but that did not mean he could not still be hurt. As evidenced by his Force exhaustion weeks ago.

There was a loud clanging sound, like a pipe had dropped to the floor. Anakin trusted in the Force to guide him in the darkness as he managed to weave around the hallways toward the noise. He heard a curse though, and grimaced to himself. _Obi-Wan…now is not the time to be a klutz!_

But then there was the sound of a lightsaber. Anakin felt his heart freeze as he heard the sound of blade against blade, before his mind took over and reminded him that this particular sound was a _good _thing, since that meant Obi-Wan was not getting chopped in half. He picked up his pace, but he heard the sound of another lightsaber, right behind him. Startled, he got distracted and tripped, neatly avoiding the blow.

_Now _is _the time the be a klutz, _he thought to himself, swinging the lightsaber up to deflect another blow. Luke's ability to break lightsabers sure would come in handy right about now. It was strange to start thinking that he would like to have help. In the past, he had always been striving to overpower his enemies by himself. He was the Chosen One, after all, with more midichlorians than Yoda in his blood. Now, someone was actually more powerful than he was, and it did not bother him as much as he thought it would.

_Of course, Luke is your son, sired with your own blood. Of course you don't mind._

" Well!" Anakin called to Obi-Wan as he ducked the swings, " At least you managed to get these two together!"

" Be quiet!" Obi-Wan called over the sound of lightsaber clashing. " It would have happened sooner or later to either one of us!"

" Right, but it happened sooner with you!" Anakin rolled on the ground and kicked out. The Force sang through his veins and he executed all his moves with ease, despite not being able to see his target. " I reserve the right to tease you until our next mishap!"

" Just you wait until you have to deal with Luke!" Obi-Wan called back to him. " Once he starts besting you on missions, then you know what you put me through!"

" He's already shown off with Grievous!" Anakin laughed. " I think I'm prepared for that!"

" Do you two always talk this much when you fight?" Anakin's foe snapped irritably. He lunged, and Anakin somersaulted over him.

" Only when we're bored!" Anakin took the offensive, and started driving his foe against the wall.

One of the machines in the room started whirring. The lights suddenly came on.

" Ah ha!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, " That _was _the switch!" He ducked down to avoid a blow.

Unfortunately, once the current turned on, one of the machines apparently became magnetic. The next thing Anakin knew, he was flying through the air, before his metal arm struck the side of the machine with a resounding _BANG._

Anakin grunted as he lost all feeling in the metal arm and winced from having his air knocked out of him. " Obi-Wan! You did that on purpose!"

The Dark Jedi Anakin had been fighting lunged at him, and Anakin blocked it with his flesh arm. His metal arm was stuck fast to the machine, and any amount of struggling could not free it from the magnetic pull.

" This is ridiculous!" He cried, as he blocked another blow. " How come our arms are not made of something like plastic? Of all things they could make these arms with, why does it have to be made of iron? Obi-Wan turn it off!"

Obi-Wan turned to him with a disgruntled huff. " I'm kind of busy over here!"

Oh, there were many things that could be worse in this mission, but at the moment, Anakin would be hard pressed to think of any. With his arm essentially glued to this Force-forsaken machine, Anakin was stuck blocking the aggressive attacks from the Dark Jedi until Obi-Wan turns the thing off. Of course, Obi-Wan could not do that, as it would cast everyone in darkness again. _This sucks!_

At length, his mentor finally disposed of his own opponent. He came charging in to Anakin's rescue, effectively driving Anakin's assailant away. Anakin deactivated his lightsaber and pushed against the wall. No luck. He was stuck fast. He kicked at the wall in frustration.

" Obi-Wan! I'm stuck!"

" Force!" His mentor cried back, " Have some patience! I'll get to you!"

Anakin grunted and tried again to free himself, but as he slid his body off, his arm remained glued to the wall. He could not even bend his elbow away; he had lost complete control over the arm. He slammed a fist against the wall. _I'm so getting a replacement! _Briefly, he entertained the idea of simply cutting off this arm, but he did not relish the idea.

Obi-Wan raced back. " Anakin, are you alright?"

" Just get me off this thing!"

Obi-Wan tried pulling Anakin, but did not succeed. " Wow, that's a strong magnet."

" Turn the stupid thing off!"

" Very well." Obi-Wan flicked the switch with the Force. Anakin remained stuck to the wall, however.

" What?"

" It must have polarized your arm."

" What? No!"

" Look," Obi-Wan said in the dark, " We don't have much time. He ran off—we have to give chase. Here." He pulled at Anakin, and this time he managed to free himself, though his arm stretched out against the wall as if unwilling to let go.

Obi-Wan did not care. " Hurry!" He rushed off, and Anakin ran to catch up. His arm rose behind him as if trying to reach for the machine again as he exited the room.

Before Anakin could think about cutting it off completely, he heard the sound of objects zipping over a surface as several metal pieces flew out of the dark and hit him as they were drawn toward his arm. _Ding! Clang!_ One knocked him in the nose as it whizzed past.

_Oh for crying out loud_. This is officially the worst mission Anakin had ever gone on. " Obi-Wan! I need some help here!"

Obi-Wan was gone, however, so Anakin was stuck removing the metal objects from his arm. As soon as he managed to pull them away, however, they went slamming back. His arm was also floating by itself, due to some magnetic attraction with something else in the hall. He managed to get up, and started running in the dark, while feeling his lightsaber for the switch to turn it on.

He activated the blade just in time to see his outstretched metal fingers poke someone in the eye.

" Ow!"

Without thinking, Anakin sliced with his lightsaber. The Dark Jedi dropped to the floor. He was dead. Behind him, Obi-Wan looked breathlessly on. Anakin's metal fingers were still pointing at him.

" What do you know?" His mentor remarked, " The Force works in mysterious ways!"

Anakin had to agree there. He stared at the fallen Jedi, and then stared at his arm from the glow of his blade. " Huh. That worked out, surprisingly. Do you think I should cut off this arm now?"

" Our mission is done here. We should get you a new one. You might," Obi-Wan started chuckling, " You might start sticking to the hulk of the fighter, which would not be fun for you."

Anakin made the mistake of walking forward before slicing off his arm, because the next thing he knew, he was running down the hall straight for a big metal gate. He slammed face first into it as his arm stuck happily against its side, with all the objects still sticking to it pressing against his shoulder.

Obi-Wan burst into laughter behind him as Anakin pulled himself back with an effort and chopped off the prosthetic. " Oh, padawan, you are _not _living this down."

" You are evil, Obi-Wan." Anakin huffed, feeling distinctly off-balance without the limb. There was still a piece of metal attached to his shoulder that was pointing longingly at the doors, and Anakin struggled to pull away.

" I am telling Luke the first chance I get."

" Yeah yeah…"

True to his word, Obi-Wan spent the trip back describing to Anakin in explicit detail exactly what he looked like, as a powerful, fully-fledged Jedi Knight—how he _sailed _through the air and slammed into the machine, how he started running straight for the gates with large chunks of metal sticking to his outstretched prosthetic arm as if he wanted to slam into the the door on purpose. He laughed every time Anakin's stump of an arm got stuck to something on the ship, or the ship itself. The Master had the right to torment his padawan in return for all the horrors a padawan inflicted on the Master. Anakin was going to remember that when he sees Luke later.

" It was picture perfect. If only I had a holocamera." Obi-Wan sighed in contentment.

" I could have gotten a concussion from all that." Anakin muttered. " You don't care enough about my wellbeing."

Obi-Wan just laughed.

They arrived at Coruscant, and Anakin was looking forward to putting on a bacta patch over the shoulder burn in order to get it to stop itching, and a prosthetic that was not magnetized. They sailed over the landing pad where suprisingly, there was a greeting party.

" What is all this?" Obi-Wan asked as he came out of the cockpit. Yoda was frowning in thought, while several Jedi masters were pacing back and forth. There was a lot of commotion, and Anakin, perhaps due to a paternal instinct, instantly sensed this had to do with Luke. His stomach dropped.

" Oh." Said Master Windu, when he saw Anakin's empty sleeve where his prosthetic should have been. " I will have to hear this later."

" Did something happen, Master Windu?" Anakin asked, still trying to adjust to the fact that he felt out of balance.

" Oh yes something happened!" Ferus interrupted before the Jedi Master could say anything. " I need to talk to you, Skywalker!"

" Whatever needs to be said could be said inside, Knight Olin. Knight Skywalker, Master Kenobi, please come inside. Are you two hurt?"

" Anakin needs a new arm, and I believe his shoulder was burned. Otherwise, I believe both of us are fine." His mentor sounded very puzzled. Ferus walked beside Anakin as they went inside the chapel. Anakin could feel the other Knight was furious.

" Olin, I am not sure if you are angry with me or simply angry, but I can assure you that I have no idea _why _you are angry."

" Oh hohoho," Ferus gave him a menacing glare. " If this happened to _you_, I assure you, you will probably be much less merciful than I am right now."

Thoroughly baffled, Anakin stopped. Why was Ferus being so uncivil? " What happened?" He asked, wondering if getting slammed into metal doors and magnetic machines was just the tip of the iceberg for his day.

Ferus looked livid. " Your padawan kidnapped mine, and hijacked a fighter! Now they are on their way to Mustafar!"

Anakin blinked in shock. Of all the—What?!

_Worst day _ever_!_


	19. Chapter 18

Turns of Fate

Chapter 12

" Luke, where the Force are we going?"

Luke almost wished he had pushed Terin out.

" We are going to Mustafar, where I will challenge the Sith Lord to a game of sabacc."

" Seriously. Where are we going?"

" The first part I said is definitely true. The second part, well, it depends on how good he is at sabacc. He might not be worth playing against if he's not good at it."

" We are seriously going to Mustafar? Is the Chancellor there? Are you trying to rescue the Chancellor?"

" Hehe," Luke scowled, " Maybe, maybe not. That also depends on if he is good at sabacc. Listen, I have some major missions to fulfill, it would be good if you stay put and not let yourself get killed. You're a good guy, I really like you, and I would like it very much if you were one of those Jedi who I get to torment when I'm actually born."

" We should pull out of hyperspace, _now._" Terin reached for the lever, but Luke grabbed his wrist.

" You dare," Luke warned, " And I will knock you out for all of the ride. Do you understand?"

" I'm the one with the lightsaber!"

" And you'd be a complete fool if you would dare activate it here."

Terin worried his lip. " Can you at least tell me what's going on? Why couldn't we have consulted the Council first?"

" Because I'm the one from the future, and the Council is in the present. Get it?"

Terin did not reply. He did not understand, but Luke did not feel like clarifying. He leaned back in his pilot's chair. Too bad once they were in hyperspace, he had nothing to do. _Force, this sucks. How did I get stuck with Terin Oller?_

_By being the rash and arrogant person you always are. _His sister replied dryly. _If you die, I will join the Force just to kill you there as well._

Luke groaned.

Terin folded his arms. " You still should have reported this to the Council."

" The Council is the problem."

Terin did not like that; Luke could tell.

" We are pulling out of hyperspace." He declared.

" No, we aren't."

" Yes we are. We are going to report to the Council that the Chancellor is on Mustafar.

" I told them that already." Luke lied. " They didn't listen to me."

Terin glared. " You never told them about Mustafar."

_Dealing with Jedi sucks. _Their ability to tell when people are lying really ruins things. " Certain things they cannot know. You think the Jedi Council is flexible like a person? It's a symbol, Terin. They have to uphold what they represent and as leaders of the Order, certain things they _must _do, even if in the grand scheme of things it is unwise."

" Like what?" Terin snapped. " What sort of things must the Order do?"

" They must kill the Sith Lord."

Terin stared at him. " And this is bad _how?_"

" I'm supposed to _catch_ him, not _kill _him. _Grand _scheme of things, Terin."

_Grand scheme of things yourself, Luke. _His sister bit.

_Leia, it's seriously too late. I'm already in hyperspace and I'm not doubling back. If you don't have anything useful to say, say nothing at all._

_Oh, I think I have plenty of useful things to say. It's just that a certain brother of mine, who I was busting my rear end for all this time, decided to stop listening to me!_

Luke ignored her. " I am going to put you in a Force-induced sleep if you dare pull us out of hyperspace." Luke warned. " Mind you, I Force-suggested a Sith Lord. Twice. In a row." With his sister, who is currently not cooperating with him, and he passed out from Force exhaustion and nearly died when she _was _cooperating, but Terin did not have to know all of that.

The other padawan groaned. " Fine." He muttered. " You're the guy from the future. Everyone else has just been listening to you anyway."

" Don't worry." Luke felt a little bad now. He could sense Terin's anxiety and would no doubt feel the same way if their positions were switched. " I won't let anything happen to you."

Terin threw him a dirty look. " You can't promise that."

" I can." _I think._ " But if you insist on getting in trouble, of course, that's another story. Look, I need to do this. I know this goes against everything you were raised to believe, but we seriously _must _violate protocol in this case."

" I still don't understand it." Sometimes, Luke forgot that he was with Force-sensitives, but Terin's additional comment reminded him quickly of the fact. " But I sense that what you are doing is important. Just be careful, alright?"

Terin was a lot better than his master, Luke decided. He nodded grimly and squeezed Terin's shoulder.

" Terin, you're the first new friend I made here." Said Luke. " If I'm born and I live anywhere near you, feel free to torment me as you please until I can fight back."

Terin made a weird face. " That is such an odd comment and I am trying to decide if it's because of the words themselves, or the fact that they actually make sense."

Luke laughed. " Ah." He checked the coordinates. " Can't wait to reach Mustafar."

" How long is that going to take?" Terin asked.

Luke checked. " Nine hours." He sighed. " Does this ship have food?"

Terin sulked. " It's not like we were prepared for a nine-hour flight, you nerfherder."

" This is going to suck isn't it." Luke sighed.

Both then took a nap. It kind of just happened, as there was nothing to do. The next thing Luke knew, he was standing on his old Tatooine farm, the twin suns just beginning to set, illuminating the sky in a cheerful red. Before him was a man, tall and broad, with kindly features and strong, grim eyes. He knew this man, from previous visions with Leia.

_" Qui-Gon."_

He supposed he should have said something like " Master Jinn", out of respect, but he always knew this man as Qui-Gon, and this was a dream. He had no reason to show respect to figments of his imagination.

_" Please don't do anything weird." _He said to the man, in a moment of lucidity. _" I have had enough of that already in my actual meditations."_

The man just smiled. _" You have a lot of courage, for one so young." _He said.

_" It's not courage when you have nothing to lose." _Luke replied, forgetting for a moment that he was dreaming.

_" Why do you say that?"_

_" I know what is in store."_

_" And what is that, little Jedi?"_

It was strange. " Little Jedi" was normally something that others from the outside use to refer to members of the Order, and usually with derogatory connotations. Qui-Gon was definitely a member of the order, and the name sounded indulgent and parental, like something Yoda would call one of the younglings.

Luke walked past him to explore his hut. It was as he remembered. Or at least, how he thought he remembered, anyway. _" The universe keeps going and going and going."_

_" Destiny surrounds the Skywalker bloodline." _Qui-Gon murmured.

_" The Force sired my father. Or so you say." _Luke stepped inside the hut. _" Uncle Owen! Aunt Beru! Where are you?"_

_" They are not here, little one."_

_" They ought to be." _Luke said carelessly. _" This is their home."_

Qui-Gon raised his hand to feel the walls. _" This is where you lived?" _He inquired.

_" Come on. I want to show you my room." _Luke suddenly settled into the frame of mind of that six-year-old boy, who laid eyes on Qui-Gon for the first time while meditating, and decided he revered the man. _" It is small, but it serves its purpose." _He took the older Jedi by the hand and pulled him in the direction of his small room. Qui-Gon followed without resistance.

_" Here, ye, fair young maiden," _Luke sang softly, _" Tell me, what's thy name? That I may still sing to the stars at night before I sleep, hey!"_

_" Does your father know you are going to Mustafar?"_

_" No." _Luke replied, still in the dream trance that prevented him from thinking clearly. _" He has bigger things to worry about."_

_" What sort of bigger things?"_

_" Cleaning the slate."_

_" How would he clean the slate?"_

_" By killing everyone." _Luke replied, momentarily forgetting that the timeline had changed. He looked forlornly at his made bed. Everything was neat and tidy, the way Aunt Beru liked it. _" I wish I don't have to kill him."_

_" And what if you don't?"_

_" Well, the only way I won't is if he comes back." _Luke sat down on the bed to look up at Qui-Gon. Suddenly, in another moment of lucidity, he asked, _" Aren't you dead?"_

Qui-Gon smiled gently. _" Yes. Indeed, I am."_

Luke fell back to the dream state. _" I never went fishing before." _He told Qui-Gon in a serious tone, not at all aware that he had completely changed the topic. _" There aren't any fish here on Tatooine."_

_" I would imagine so. Do you want to learn how to fish?"_

_" Sounds boring. But I'm supposed to catch a huge fish somehow." _Luke furrowed his brow. _" I'm not sure how." _Then, lucid again, he said, _" Are you a messenger? Do you have a message for me?"_

Qui-Gon's expression was very pleasant. _" I am here to show you how to be One with the Force."_

_" The stars in the sky go round and round," _Luke started singing for some reason, _" And the planets 'round the stars go round and round. The moons 'round the planets go round and round, and then we start all over again with the stars in the sky going round and round, the planets 'round the stars going round and round…"_

Qui-Gon let Luke finish his song. Or maybe his song just cut off as the dream progressed, because the next thing Luke knew, he was sitting in his parent's living room back on Coruscant. The apartment was, of course, empty, and they were sitting on the soft carpet Luke had admired the first time he set foot there.

_" Do me a favor." _Qui-Gon was saying to Luke. _" Tell Obi-Wan that I cannot be prouder of him."_

_" I will take care of Obi-Wan." _Luke was suddenly overwhelmed with kind feelings for the old Jedi. Really, in the old timeline, he felt no one had suffered more than kind, strong Ben, and none were less deserving of it. His life had been filled with loss of those he treasured, and by the time Luke came into his life, Obi-Wan had nothing left. This time, when he arrived at the past, most of the time he was focusing on his father. He felt guilty, wishing that he had a chance to talk to Obi-Wan more, give Obi-Wan that promise that he will always be remembered as one of the greatest Jedi to exist. _" I will wrap him in joy. He will know peace so long as I am around." _Bold words, that did not make sense, but then this was a dream.

Qui-Gon smiled, his eyes shining with gratitude. _" Thank you, Luke. You are truly the Light of the galaxy." _

Luke woke abruptly. For a moment, he was disoriented. Terin was snoring next to him. _Awesome!_ He said to his still angry sister. _I just had the first somewhat logical dream I've had in months! Well, as logical as dreams go, anyway. Except I don't think Qui-Gon finished showing me the trick with the Force…_

_I am still not talking to you._ Leia slammed her walls up. Luke was left wondering when she had started to not talk to him.

" This ship wasn't built for long-distance travel." Terin shifted with a groan. He was groggy, but awake." We should have picked a bigger ship."

Luke yawned as he blinked to full awareness. He checked to see how much time they have left. " Ugh. Three more hours."

Terin looked at Luke. " What were you planning to do on Mustafar?"

" Go down there."

" Kill a Sith Lord?"

" Maybe. Mostly catch him though. He's a big Emperor Kingfish."

Terin blinked at this odd comment and decided not to think more of it for the moment. " You don't have the proper training."

" You don't know anything about my training." Luke muttered shortly.

" I do know your lightsaber skills need improvement."

Luke did not reply.

Terin frowned. " Is something wrong?"

_Yeah, a lot of things. _" No, not really. It's just taking so long."

" We are traveling several hundred thousand lightyears, Luke."

" Still taking a long time."

After what felt like ages, they finally arrived and pulled out of hyperspace. The fighter rumbled as it switched realities. Mustafar loomed before them in a dark, morbidly red glow, covered with black patches of dark rock, ash, and clouds of smoke.

" What an awful planet. And I thought Tatooine sucked." Luke made a face. He then thought about the dream and decided that Tatooine did not deserve that. Luke actually missed home. A lot. He missed his friends there, Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, his little room where responsibility and destiny never intruded unless he let them. _Sigh…_

" I've been to Mustafar before with Master Olin, on a mission once." Terin shook his head. " It was incredibly hot."

" When you go down there, do you have to wear a suit?" Luke suddenly asked, realizing that the fighter was not equipped with one. Nor an oxygen tank.

" A what?"

" I mean, it's a volcanic planet. You know, poisonous gasses in the air, the fact that you are standing on chunks of hardened lava…don't you need to wear a suit and a tank of oxygen?"

" …No?" Terin frowned. " Though I never thought of that. Huh."

" Wow." Luke shook his head. " The entire planet is a volcano and you don't need a protective suit to shield from the heat of liquid metal which just happens to surround you, and somehow there is enough oxygen for you to breathe without a tank despite the combustion in the air. That's it. Mustafar breaks all laws of science."

" We are not scientists." Terin shrugged.

" Well, it's still convenient." Luke thrust the lever.

" What are you doing?"

" Orbiting the planet, seeing if there's anything special to look at before going down there." Luke gripped the controls. " After all, I don't want to land on the opposite side of where Palpy is."

" Can you sense him?" Terin stared down at the flaring red, " I can't."

" Nope." Luke quipped, as he turned the ship around. " He's shielding."

" So how are you going to locate him?"

" Magic." Luke laughed. _The forbidden word! _" I'll figure out where he is. His shields are nothing compared to my prodding. It's how I know, for example, that right now he's…huh. That guy doesn't sleep, does he."

He suddenly snatched the lever and pulled the ship to a halt. Terin gagged as his body propelled forward while the seat restraints held him back.

" Ugh!" Cried the other padawan. " What was that?"

" Kreth." Luke muttered.

Terin looked. And fell silent.

A whole battalion, composed of ships which definitely did _not _belong to the Republic, was lined up in front of them, their occupants staring straight at the faces of the two teenage boys.

" We're in trouble." Terin observed.

" Yes we are."

_Spontaneity sucks._ Leia said almost gleefully. Apparently she has decided to end her self-induced silence in favor of gloating.

And then the ships started firing missiles.


	20. Chapter 19

Turns of Fate

Chapter 18

" How did you figure out he was going to Mustafar? What the heck _is _he doing going to Mustafar? When did he leave? Why did he take Padawan Oller? Why didn't you stop him? He's only fifteen years old! Why didn't you contact me before this so I could have gotten here faster!?"

Panic had numbed his mind. Pure, blind panic. It was not unlike Luke to go running off by himself, but something in Anakin screamed at the thought. His son was lightyears away from Coruscant. If anything befell him, Anakin might not even know, unless the child died, in which case—no, he would not think of that. But what was a fifteen-year-old doing? Going to Mustafar of all places! He felt like he was going out of his mind with worry, and it only served to make his temper sharper.

Why were none of the Jedi answering? He glared at them challengingly, then drew up short.

It was Master Windu and Master Yoda's focus on Anakin's shoulder that alerted him to the fact that, forgetting that he had lost his arm, he had been trying to wave it up and down, but what ultimately resulted was the strange scene where the metal stump was moving and spinning around under his sleeve. Even Ferus looked a bit transfixed.

" Need a new arm, you do." Yoda pointed out unhelpfully.

" I have no time! When did he leave?"

" Yesterday. After you left."

Anakin stared at Ferus and Yoda in disbelief. " Then what are you still doing here? Has someone gone after them?"

" We only figured out where the heck they were going an hour ago!" Ferus snapped. " Thanks to the fact that they were in hyperspace before we can even blink!"

Oh this was just incredible. " Well hurry up!"

" Wait!" Obi-Wan tugged Anakin back, " Think, Anakin! Why would Luke go to Mustafar?"

" Leia must have given him new developments," Anakin paced, " He felt he was losing time…"

" Then why would he rush off on his own like this?"

_Luke? Rush off on his own, without consulting—_

" Protect the Council from doing something." _Oh Sith. _" Oh _Sith. _Literally. The Sith Lord is on Mustafar!"

Crud crud crud crud crud! What the heck was his son _thinking_? Anakin instantly rushed past the other Jedi for the hangar.

" Skywalker!" Ferus barked after him, " Where do you think you are going, you bastard!"

" I am going to retrieve my son, you son of a bantha!" Anakin yelled back. It occurred to him briefly that neither Knight sounded proper right now, but he hardly cared.

" Anakin!" Obi-Wan yelled from farther away, " For Force's sake! You cannot go like this! You are missing an arm!"

" You are nuts if you think I am going to wait around for that!" _My son is going to face the Sith Lord! I don't care how powerful he thinks he is, I have to go to him _now!

" Knights!" He heard Obi-Wan shout, and to his disbelief, " Stop him!"

_Oh you have _got _to be kidding me—_

Bright lightsabers burst into life in front of him, forcing Anakin to skid to a stop. Force, he sure could use one of Luke's breaking tricks now! " I don't have time for this!" He raised his arm—only to realize that it was the prosthetic stump. _Sithspit!_

" Anakin!" Obi-Wan grabbed his flesh arm, " You have to stay behind. You lost an arm. You really think you stand a better chance against the Sith?"

" He's my son!"

" And you're my padawan!" Obi-Wan shot back.

" Not anymore!" Anakin snapped, though part of him was reeling from Obi-Wan's remark. That younger self, the Anakin Skywalker who had idolized Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, stirred to life. He felt guilty for his own response, especially when Obi-Wan looked stricken upon hearing it. " Look, Obi-Wan, if it were me instead—" No, too personal, " I just have to go, alright?"

" Can't you trust us, you fool!" Ferus brushed past him, clearly intending to go chase after the padawans himself.

" Against Sidious, you will not win." Yoda warned Ferus, and though his voice was not loud, the impact was as striking.

" Well _my _padawan is stuck with _his _son!" Ferus exclaimed. He then pulled himself up short. " I am sorry, Master Yoda."

Impressed, Anakin looked at Ferus. " So you _do _have a backbone when it counts. Occasionally."

Ferus threw him a dirty glare.

" Both of you, stop this at once!" Obi-Wan looked sternly at both. " Master Windu and I will go after Padawan Skywalker and Oller! The two of you will remain at the temple!"

Considering that Obi-Wan had just landed with Anakin, the younger Jedi was fairly certain that Obi-Wan had not actually discussed this with Master Windu, but the other Jedi did not protest. Anakin and Ferus, on the other hand, had plenty to say about this arrangement.

" You can't expect me—"

" That is _my _padawan facing a—"

" To just _sit here_ and _wait _while—"

" Sith Lord because _his _padawan and son didn't have the decency—"

" Enough!"

It was Yoda. And both Anakin and Ferus instantly shut their mouths. Anakin could not even recall a time when Yoda raised his voice like that. The old Jedi looked as exasperated as Anakin had ever seen him, which was considerable, since Anakin had done things that had gravely annoyed the Grand Master.

" If Sith Lord, it is, With Master Kenobi and Master Windu, I will go." Yoda continued, calmer now. " In the meantime, stay here, you two will. Finished, this is." He added, when the two knights started to protest.

Ferus backed down first, the way he always does. " Yes, Master Yoda."

Anakin huffed and did not even bother. Master Yoda is only kidding himself if he thinks Anakin was just going to sit back and do nothing. His _son _was out there, and Anakin had nothing to lose; he was already going to be expelled from the Order. He will not abandon his child as well, sitting back as the three masters explain to him that they were not able to save his boy. Anxiety seemed to pound in rhythm with his heart. He avoided thinking of what could happen, the worst that could happen, what could go wrong, what he would do then…

His son, who came into his life already fifteen years old, but already the bright, shining light of Anakin's heart.

Once the three masters take off, he was going after his son.

He started to fold his arms, before realizing he was missing one. He stared at the stump in dismay as it arched forward under the sleeve. Everyone stared at it for a moment as well. _Maybe Yoda and Obi-Wan have a point. _Anakin thought. How was he supposed to defend Luke if he keeps trying to use a nonexistent arm? The precious seconds that mistake would cost could be the death of both of them.

_Well, I will just have to keep using my flesh arm. _Anakin thought stubbornly. _This is my son. My child._

_Padme's child._

As the masters prepared, Anakin memorized the coordinates to Mustafar by reading over their shoulder when they were not looking. He would have to know them when he makes the jump to hyperspace. His son probably learned the coordinates through Leia, but Anakin had no such luxury.

The Knight was not oblivious to the generosity of the masters, or of Obi-Wan, who no doubt felt as exhausted as Anakin was, when they departed immediately. Obi-Wan did not even get a chance to have a drink of water or a change of clothes. He was on a ship instantly, along with Masters Yoda and Windu. As the ship started, Anakin looked at the gate, and he cocked an eyebrow when he realized that somehow, the gates were once torn from the hangar. No doubt when Luke decided to go off to Mustafar. _The amount of power to jerk those heavy things is tremendous!_ Anakin thought in awe. The doors were back in place, though crooked, and now, with all the masters on board, they were beginning to open.

_My son _is _just like me. _Anakin frowned. _This is my comeuppance.  
_

Ferus watched stoically as the ship departed. He turned to Anakin with a glare.

" You were supposed to _curb _your son. I would gladly take back the Luke Skywalker who steals my padawan's clothes, in exchange for kidnapping him!"

" Luke would not kidnap Padawan Oller any more than I would kidnap _you_." Anakin scoffed in disgust. The other Knights, including those who had blocked Anakin in the first place, started to depart, figuring that the business was done.

" Oh! Are you claiming that my padawan decided to go with Luke on this insane mission voluntarily?" Ferus hissed.

Admittedly, Ferus's apprentice was just as rule-abiding as Ferus himself, but Anakin simply brushed past Ferus, choosing not to dignify the other Knight with a response. He brushed too close to a ship and his arm stump went out and hit the hull with a resounding _thwack, _tugging Anakin along with it_._ With a grimace, Anakin pulled it away.

This was ridiculous.

" Where are you going?" Ferus demanded.

" Away from you." Anakin snapped back. " Unlike you, _I _intend on doing something productive." He marched toward a fighter that he knew had a good hyperdrive.

" Wait." Ferus paused. " Are you going after them?"

" He's my son. I don't care what the Masters say."

" Those were direct orders!"

" You just worry about yourself, Olin."

" Are you out of your mind?" Ferus suddenly slipped in front of him. " You can't go like this?"

" Are you trying to stop me?" Anakin asked dangerously. " Because I _will _cut you where you stand!"

The ruckus they were causing attracted the attention of the other Knights, who started filing back to investigate. Anakin, glancing at them wished he had Luke's ability to just Force suggest them away, Force exhaustion or not.

" You may not care enough about your padawan," Anakin snarled at Ferus, " But Luke is my _son _and I will not abandon him!"

" He is not abandoned!" Ferus's voice was high with disbelief. " Master _Yoda_ is going! Master Windu, _and _your former mentor are both accompanying him! You think you can stand up to a Sith Lord with your arm like that?"

Too many people were coming back in. If Anakin did not move now, he might never be able to board the ship. Thanks to Luke's earlier attempts, the gates had been weakened, and while the other Knights had not caught up with them yet, Anakin spared a few precious seconds to pull on the hangar gates. However, he was not as strong as Luke, and Ferus quickly figured out what he was trying to do.

He shoved Anakin back to cut off his attention. Anakin threw a punch, but the other Knight blocked it. Ferus Olin was a capable Jedi, much to Anakin's chagrin.

" I do not have time for this!" Anakin yelled at him. " Luke is _my _responsibility, and I _will _go to him!"

" You're a fool!" Ferus cried.

_"_ Maybe I am!" Anakin roared, " But more than a fool, I am a _father! _I will _not _wait here to hear Yoda explain to me that they were too late, that Luke had been killed! I will _not!_" He struck at Ferus, who blocked again. The knights came up behind him, and Anakin whirled his arm at them. They blocked as well, and Anakin swung his body around to deflect their blows. He kicked at Ferus, who dodged and tried to knock Anakin off his feet. Anakin merely flipped over his head. Ferus then flipped over Anakin, and tried to Force-push Anakin back. Anakin spun away to avoid it. The two fought, with Anakin dodging the attempts of the other Knights to pull him back. The ruckus was drawing the attention of the rest of the Temple, and soon the masters would arrive. If they do, Anakin would have no chance of going to Luke.

_No! Luke needs me!_ Fear, pure and strong, flooded his veins, and Anakin did not bother pausing to siphon it off to the Force. Determined to get to the ship no matter the obstacle, he plowed into Ferus, knocking him into the cockpit behind him. Ferus fell over the copilot's seat, and Anakin stepped on his ear to spring to the pilot's seat. He glanced up at the closed gates that had been stuffed back to place after Luke's stunt.

_One up you, Son._ Anakin thought, pressing the torpedoes. He was not as powerful as his son and could not just heave the gates out. Instead, he blew them up. The backwash from the explosion knocked the remaining knights outside down on the ground. Ferus was scrambling to get to his feet, but as Anakin levitated the spacecraft, the other Knight fell over the chair again.

" What is going on?" The masters had arrived, their lightsabers activated and at the ready, but completely useless in this situation. Anakin managed to fly the ship out through the gates while entering the coordinates for Mustafar, despite having only one arm. The momentum from the flight shut the doors to the ship, which was just fine for Anakin. He skillfully counteracted Ferus's attempts to stop him by rotating the ship around during the flight and effectively knocking the other Jedi about the ship. They tore through the clouds above Coruscant after knocking aside other aircrafts in their wake. As soon as Anakin sensed the gravity's pull lessen on the ship, he pulled the lever for hyperspeed. The force slammed Ferus to the back of the cockpit.

They were in hyperspace.

Ferus, knowing when he lost the battle, moved to the co-pilot chair, sulking.

" I think we both just discovered how your son kidnapped my padawan." He spat, rubbing the bruises on his head.

Anakin glanced at Ferus, who was then looking down at the hyperdrive lever. " Don't even think about it."

Ferus scowled. " With you in the pilot's seat, it would be a fruitless effort."

Anakin glanced at the screens. Nine hours. He could only hope that his boy would survive that long. _Hold on, Luke. _He thought. _I'm coming._

_Please hold on._

" Well, on the bright side, this was what I originally intended to do, before the Masters ordered us not to." Ferus continued to rub his head.

Anakin turned to Ferus. For all of his law-abiding ways, the other was a good Jedi. " Let's do this." He tried to stick out his right arm, but then realized, to his chagrin, that he had forgotten that he lost it. Ferus did not notice.

" Hm!" Was all he said. " How long before we arrive?"

" Too long."

" You're a freaking bastard. I am going to kill you once we get them back."

" After this stunt," Anakin muttered, completely ignoring Ferus, " I am grounding him for the rest of his life."


	21. Chapter 20

Turns of Fate

Chapter 19

Luke instantly darted into a frenzy of moves that had his partner screaming at the top of his lungs. He had no actual experience with these things, and it was not long before their ship rocked with a blast.

" AAHHHHH!!!" Terin yelled. Luke pulled the ship up short just in time to dodge another missile.

" Shields!" Luke yelled, meaning for Terin to look at the meters for him. Terin did not understand." Man the guns! Man the guns!"

He started the fighter again in a twirl, then spiraled out of the way of five missiles to head straight into another one. Leia offered her support as Luke used the Force to push it just enough that it missed the right wing of the plane.

_You have to get out of there, now! _She had finished gloating when they started shooting at them. _Have Terin punch in the coordinates for Coruscant!_

" I'm kind of busy here!" Luke yelled, unable to use his thoughts alone to communicate with his sister. " Man the guns, Oller!" Their plane rocked again, but miraculously did not blow up. " I can't keep dodging like this!"

" WHOA!" Terin nearly knocked his head into Luke's. " You're the craziest pilot—AHHHHHH!"

" Man the guns you nincompoop!" Luke yelled again. He made the fighter do a back flip.

" Oh Force I'm gonna be sick…"

" Keep yelling!" Luke cried. He actually meant it; with the stunts he was doing, the movements were so abrupt that Terin could very well damage his brain from all the bumping around. " And man the guns you son of a bantha!"

They flew straight into the front lines of the battalion, where Luke managed to trick two fighters into hitting one another. To his credit, Terin actually tried to reach for the controllers this time, but Luke's stunts swung him around too much and he could not get a hold.

" CAN'T YOU FLY STEADY FOR TWO SECONDS?!!" Terin shouted.

" Not if you want to live!" Luke suddenly reversed his fighter, causing Terin to choke on his seat restraint. He then sent the ship spinning, relying solely on the Force to determine what he was doing. More ships blew up behind him. Thankfully, their ship still had some shield left, but it was not going to last them for very long. " Grab the freaking guns!"

Terin's head slammed against the walls as Luke did a sharp turn. He made a sharp dive and a swerve, causing Terin to scream straight into Luke's ear.

Seriously, how many times does he have to yell at this padawan to man the guns? Is this Oller inept? Taking a precious moment to take one hand off the controls, Luke grabbed one of the gun controllers and shot a plasma blast. He then swerved to avoid getting hit.

_Careful!_

" AAAHHHHH! Oh I hate flying!"

" You're pathetic!" Luke cried, shooting up, and then swinging down. He was going to head into Mustafar, where the clouds of ash would hopefully block the ships from coming after him. " You are absolutely useless!"

" WAAAAA! EEEEEEE! LUUUKE I'M GOING TO KILLLLLLLLLLLLLL YOU FOR TH—AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Luke swerved back up when he sensed danger again. He looked out to see a guided missile. _Sithspit!_

_Guide it to the enemy!_

" I _know_, Leia!" Luke shouted, spinning the ship to dodge the missile as it flew past. He saw it decelerate in order to change direction. Several more torpedos were launched at them. Luke's reflexes were fast, but this ship was not the most maneuverable. " I should have _known _Palpers would have ships lying in ambush!"

_Stop talking!_ His sister sounded like she was exerting some effort. _Concentrate on flying, you retard!_

Luke flew straight at one of the larger ships, before spinning upwards, letting the missile behind him collide. The fighter rocked from the explosion's backwash, and the shields beeped in warning. Terin was wheezing next to him, his Force presence bright with panic.

_Oh _Sith_! _Palpatine would no doubt sense they were here now, with Luke being distracted! _Sith sith sith sith sith! _Even if they did make it past this holy terror of a battalion, Palpy could just fly away as soon as they land!

_Shut up!_ His sister snapped. _I'm shielding for both of you!_

Luke once again reminded himself that he loved his sister _very very _much.

He dove down, spinning again to avoid the guns, and started descending onto the surface of the planet. The ship was actually starting to burn from the atmospheric friction and the speed it was going. It was just as well that there was still some shield left; otherwise, the fighter would have been toast. Literally. Luke swerved again.

" AHHHH!"

" And we're through!" Luke cried, slowing the ship down as they broke through the clouds. " Scope! Check the scope! See if they're coming after us! Sith, are you completely _incompetent?!_"

Terin did check the scopes then. " No one's following us so far," His voice was hoarse from all the shrieking.

" Our shields are fried." Luke sighed. The air friction had used up all of the remaining shields. Well, a single fighter surviving an entire battalion shooting blasters and missiles at them. " That wasn't too bad."

" Are you _nuts?!_"

Luke rolled his eyes. " We're alive, aren't we?"

" Ha!" Terin looked like he was about to cry. " I'm not sure. I think I'm in the process of dying."

" Oh come off it." Luke checked his Force presence. " You're fine. Grow a stronger stomach, Terin. We made it, despite the odds."

" How are we going to get off the planet?"

" That is also a good question."

" This was not well thought out." Terin declared. " Coming here alone like this."

" Well the battalion is only on one side of the planet."

" So?"

_Oh Force, _his sister breathed, _That was too close._

But they were not out of the woods yet, so to speak. As Luke saw the ground approaching, he tried to level out the aircraft. No response.

" Oh _kreth—_" Luke punched the controls. " Terin, I want you to grab the armrests."

" What?" Terin exclaimed, even as he obeyed. " What's going on?"

" Prepare for a crash landing!"

" What—AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Luke eagerly joined him in the screaming. The two teens shrieked as the vessel collided with the molten rock and slid almost into the red lava flowing ominously all around them. As the vessel stopped, both Luke and Terin lunged forward in their seatbelts due to inertia. When they finally pulled back, Terin looked like he was about to fall unconscious.

Afraid that his brain had gotten bruised from all the rolling around, Luke quickly checked his Force presence. Terin was merely exhausted, however, and Luke sighed.

" Oh Force," Terin moaned. " I am never flying in the same ship as you _again!_"

" Oh quit whining." Luke was a bit shaken himself, but he was quickly getting over it. He had more important things to do. " If it weren't for my flying, we would be dead."

" If it weren't for you shoving us here, we wouldn't be dying in the first place!"

_Good point,_ but Luke was hardly going to admit that Terin was right. " Come on. Out of the ship with you."

The blast of heat when the doors opened was enough to make Luke rethink the wisdom of walking out, but at the same time, he had a mission to fulfill. Terin lingered behind, understandably. He was still trembling from the earlier ordeal.

_You're several hours away from Palpatine! _Leia told him. Luke glanced up to the sky to think, only to realize that several ships had indeed followed them past the clouds.

Scouts.

_How do you know we are several hours away?_

_A hunch._

As dissatisfying as that answer was, Luke took it to mean that Leia had felt in the Force that they had not crash landed in the best possible place. Then again, looking around at the hot lava around them, it was probably good enough that they did not crash land _in _the lava. That would not have been a pretty picture.

" Terin!" Luke called to the other padawan. " Get out of the cockpit now! There are scouts coming! We have to hide!"

Terin managed to climb out of the remains of the ship, despite the fact that his legs shook like autumn leaves. Luke inhaled deeply, then wondered why his lungs weren't burning. _Oh Mustafar._

" Come on!"

Terin finally made it to Luke, who supported him as they made their way out of the area. When they were sufficiently far away, Luke glanced back. If the scouts discover an empty vessel, they might conclude that the occupants had survived.

Well, he would just have to correct for that.

_Leia, shield me!_ He told his sister, feeling more confident in her ability to concentrate at the moment. With a jolt of Force telekinesis, he snapped one of the wires in the engines and struck it against another.

Terin nearly fell over as the spacecraft exploded behind him.

" Easy, easy," Luke comforted the trembling padawan, " That was me. Terin, that was me. I did that. The ship was not going to blow up with us in it." He repeated this until the fear died away. _Force, this padawan sure is a flighty one._

They hid behind the boulders as the scouts checked the wreckage. There was really not much left. Much of the ship had melted after flying into the lava. What remained were hardly identifiable.

" How are we going to get back?" Terin asked.

" Simple." Luke replied. " Darth Sidious will fly us back."

Terin stared at him. " How exactly are you going to convince him to do _that_, may I ask?"

" Force suggestion!" _In, Leia?_

_Oh for the love of—ugh!_

_Great._

" You are crazy." Terin was staring at him with wide eyes. " What if you go into Force exhaustion again?"

" It really depends on what I convince him of." Luke replied, once again deciding not to mention that he needed his sister's help. " Besides, I force suggested twice the first time around. If I do this once, I should be fine."

" Let's hope you have reason to be confident." Terin muttered dubiously, sneaking a peak at the scouts who were still looking around the remains of the ship. His face was tight with anxiety, and Luke felt a bit of guilt. Terin had not asked for this. It was probably the first time he had left Coruscant without his Master.

" Everything will be fine." Luke said to Terin. " I promise you, even if I die, I'll get you back home."

Terin glared at Luke. " I don't want you to die either." He snapped.

Luke smiled at him, feeling touched. " Yeah, well, if I die, I'll probably just head straight to my fetus self, so I'm not incredibly worried."

" You were earlier when we were dodging missiles."

" I had you to take care of!" Luke lowered his voice, looking back at the scouts. No one overheard him. The flow of the lava was loud, the red heat sizzling in the air.

_You should move. _Leia told him. _You should start walking. You didn't land in the proper area. The sooner you set out, the sooner you can find shelter from the heat._

Luke could maintain a Force bubble to cool things down, but he did not want to waste energy on that when he might have to Force suggest Palpatine into flying them home. The thought suddenly occurred to him that Terin might be able to maintain a Force bubble.

Terin proved his worth in this case, at least. Luke's earlier irritation at Terin's dismal performance on the ship vanished. They silently crept away from the crash site, leaving the scouts to their work. Luke had not really considered which direction to take, but upon sensing Palpatine's Force signature (the old corpse might _think _his shields are strong enough, but they really are not) he realized they were going the right direction. Leia was right; Palpatine was a good few hours away, and that was if they manage to keep walking nonstop. With the terrain, that was not going to happen.

" Look for high ground." Luke told Terin. " The higher we are from the core of this planet, the cooler it would be."

Terin nodded. The poor padawan was already exhausted. Luke briefly listed all the abuse he had showered on the other. Stealing his clothes, forcing him to run around naked, kidnapping him, flying him through a battalion who were shooting missiles at them, crash landing on Mustafar, and now walking around in the heat forcing Terin to maintain a Force bubble. _Wow. _So far, he might have abused Terin more than he abused his own father.

" What kind of Sith Lord establishes a sanctuary on a planet like this?" Terin moaned as they climbed a hill.

" A dumb one."

Terin looked at him but did not comment further.

_I am not going to be able to tell you exactly where Palpers is. _Leia told Luke. _You can't exactly look up a map of where he is from fifteen years ago around here. Not to mention, the Empire is on the other half of the galaxy. But I do know where you are, at least. You have to tell me which building complex he's in so I can get the correct blueprint.  
_

_I know. Don't worry, Leia._

_You are such an idiot! _Leia was deeply annoyed. _Of all the brothers I could have had, why does it have to be you?_

_I love you too, Leia._

_I mean, do you have selective attention deficit hyperactive disorder? Or maybe you were just doing this on purpose! Luke, if I have to fight you when you get back, I will kill you without hesitation!_

Considering their current predicament, Luke decided his sister was a bit justified in her rant, and allowed her while tuning her out. It was not as if Leias rants would help in this case, but if he told her to stop, she would only get more annoyed. _Ah, sisters. _This was one of those moments where he loved his sister but did not like her. _Snobby Princess._

He suddenly felt the ground vibrate and froze. The Force began a low warning.

" Terin."

Terin stopped. " What?"

" Run."

" What—where?"

" Off this mountain." Luke began shoving at the other padawan. " Hurry up! The volcano is about to blow! Run! _Run!"_

Terin paled, despite the sweltering heat, and he took off as fast as he could go. Luke followed. Under their feet, the ground rumbled again. Behind him, the mountain started to swell.

" How far will it blow?"

" Who the _kreth _cares! Just run like you mean it!"

The two boys jumped over a river of lava and scurried up a slope, panting, and Luke spared a precious glance back toward where they came. The mountain was ballooning up. This was going to be a violent one—they were not going to escape its range.

" Find cover!" He yelled. " Now! Now! _NOW!"_

There was no cover to be found, but Terin could be resourceful when he needed to be, and with his lightsaber, he cut open a shelter on the side of a steep slope. " Get in!" He yelled at Luke, who willingly obliged. Just as they crawled under, they heard what sounded like a loud explosion. It shook the ground and shook the air, and bright flames seemed to rain from the sky.

_Doesn't it usually take volcanoes several hours to erupt? _Luke whined.

_Depends on the volcano, you nerfherder! _His sister was freaked as well. _Watch out!_

_How am I supposed to watch out?! I'm stuck here!_

Well, he could add another abuse to the list for Terin. Dragged him into the middle of a volcanic eruption.

_I hate Palpatine. _Luke thought vehemently. _Hate the old bastard. Ugh._

Terin was releasing his fear into the Force like a maniac. Considering they were in the middle of a volcanic eruption, Luke had to sympathize with him there.

" Look, don't be afraid—we are _not _going to die despite what it looks like—" And the quake of the earth that followed this comment _definitely _did not help with appearances, " But there are 2 things we have to worry about! Overheating, which you are taking care of despite all scientific logic, and getting buried by solidified lava, which I—" As Luke spoke, he knocked a flaming chunk away from near their makeshift shelter, " Am taking care of! We are going to survive!"

" Oh _Force_ I wish Master Olin were here!" Terin wailed.

" Why?" Luke was confounded. " How would he be able to help any better than I can?"

The earth quaked and nearly slammed the boys into the side.

" He is a great Jedi!" Terin wailed. " He wouldn't be afraid at all!"

" I think you're overestimating your mentor there!" Luke used another Force wave. _I cannot believe we are in the _middle _of a volcanic eruption! _The situation suddenly seemed surreal.

Terin was tiring. _So much for conserving energy for Palpatine. _Luke extended some of his own and offered it to the other padawan, who gratefully accepted.

" Just wait it out! We'll be fine!" Luke glanced out.

_Luke, when you get back, I am so killing you!_ Leia cried.

Right. That he knew already. He actually felt kind of stupid. Mustafar was only littered with volcanoes. How did he not anticipate that at least one of them would erupt? Then again, he had intended to land the ship right on top of Palpatine. He never realized that Palps would have a freaking barricade up.

Within Terin's Force bubble, Luke reclined, occasionally waving away large chunks of burning lava, and waited for the eruption to end.


	22. Chapter 21

Turns of Fate

Chapter 21

The thing about hyperspace is that once in it, Anakin could not communicate through the Force with anyone except those who were also in hyperspace. The trip to Mustafar was nine long hours, and since Luke already had a day's head start, it was doubtless Luke was already at Mustafar. It did not stop him from trying, every once in a while, to contact his son, but every attempt was met with failure.

At his side, he could sense Ferus attempting to do the same with his own padawan, though both Jedi knew that if Anakin, who was trying to communicate with his _son_, could not establish a connection, Ferus stood no hope whatsoever.

One thing was for sure, however. His son was still alive. He could not know if his son was harmed, or sick, but he knew the child was alive.

_The rascal!_ His mind filed through all the memories of Luke since the first day he met the brat. Extra chores were in order, he decided. Once he hugs his son to death first.

Ferus was looking over the map of Mustafar on his screens, trying to determine where Luke was likely to be headed. It was a huge planet, to be sure, and searching by foot was not an option.

" He is just like you." He grumbled. " Running off without telling anyone, thinking he can do things on his own, and leaving the rest of us wondering where in the galaxy he is going."

" Honestly, Olin, I don't need to be reminded how much Luke has taken after me," Anakin said in annoyance, " Especially not by other people."

" Deal with it." Ferus snapped. Anakin opened his mouth to retort, but then shut it. Ferus had, after all, brought Anakin around to his senses, after he had learned Luke was his son. He could tolerate Ferus's mood.

" He would go wherever the Sith Lord would."

" And where would the Sith Lord go?" Ferus asked.

" I have absolutely no idea. I am not a Sith Lord!"

Ferus sighed, leaning back. " It occurs to me that your son is capable of thinking like a Sith Lord."

" Not necessarily." Anakin scowled. " It might be his sister." _My daughter. _Which reminded him that Luke's actions might not be entirely his idea…

_No._ Anakin's heart squashed that idea down. Leia was nowhere as impish as her brother. For all her relative tomboyish nature, Leia was a princess, through and through. _She's an exact replica of Padme, right down to her love of hairbuns…_

Leia was not as beautiful as her mother, Anakin decided, at least not quite in the same way. Her mother was delicate and sweet, two things that were rather lacking in his daughter. Leia did have a toughness about her, however, a kind of strength that made her more respectable than lovely. Her intelligence was probably even sharper than Padme's, but hardening around that intelligence was the battle-hardened personality she had adopted after seeing so much suffering in the galaxy. Padme was like crystal water—Leia was that water frozen into hard, sharp ice. If Leia still grew to become that person in this lifetime, Anakin imagined Leia would easily become Supreme Chancellor.

_Are you homosexual? But then you would have a husband!_

Oh Force. Luke seemed to be the Force's way of laughing at all the impudence Anakin gained over the years. The Jedi wrinkled his nose, thinking back to how Luke had insulted Palpatine to his face without remorse. No, this entire affair with kidnapping Padawan Oller and hijacking a plane to Mustafar could not have been Leia's idea. Leia was a good girl.

Luke was a _bad _boy!

A beep sounded from Ferus's screen. Anakin looked over in alarm.

" It's nothing." Said Ferus. " The program just crashed." He restarted it with a few touches on the screen. " Son of a—" The program beeped again.

" I am no computer programmer." Anakin shook his head as Ferus glanced at him.

" Worth a shot." Ferus released a breath. Anakin released one as well.

" Say, does this ship have any food?" Anakin asked, unstrapping his seat restraints.

" I doubt it." Ferus muttered. " We did not exactly prepare for a long-term engagement." After a moment, he remarked, " You know, once we get there, Luke might already be engaging the Sith Lord. How do you plan to deal with this when you only have one arm?"

" I'll see when I get there." Anakin returned flatly. " Sometimes you live in the moment."

" Sometimes you _plan_, Anakin."

" Well, I didn't exactly have much time, did I?" Anakin huffed.

" No." Ferus finally got the program working. " Latest map version on this system says there is a complex built to the northeast."

" What is northeast? Northeast of what?"

" Ugh. I'll direct, alright?" Ferus rolled his eyes. " _When we get there."_

_I deserved that._ Anakin acknowledged.

Nine hours was a long time to be stuck with an exasperatiing companion on a fighter, and both Jedi knew this from previous experience. Ferus turned off his screen and sank into meditation. Anakin followed his example. Force, how he hated meditations. This was definitely something his son had _not _picked up from him. Honestly, he would be glad to have the visions Luke was prone to having. At least his visions were interesting.

As his awareness of the outside world dimmed, Anakin found himself in a lavish room. As he looked around to collect his bearings, he saw his daughter dunking her head, hairbuns and all, into a large bowl of water.

_" Leia?"_

Leia started, and stared at him. She reached for a towel to dry her face.

_" Father." _She greeted. She was happy to see him, as well as a little startled. _" This is a surprise."_

Anakin was not sure if this was a vision or if he was actually talking to his daughter.

_" I was just trying to get rid of an oncoming headache." _After considering the bowl for a while, his daughter dunked her head into the bowl again.

Anakin frowned, wondering at this bizarre way of getting rid of a headache. _" What is wrong?" _He asked.

_" Oh, it's Luke. It's always Luke, or you, or Sidious." _His daughter replied as she dried her face again. _" Though lately it was just Luke. I hardly even pay attention to what is currently happening in the galaxy. I let Obi-Wan take care of that."_

_" Oh. What did Luke do this time?"_

_" Ah, best not to tell you." _She then paused. _" Actually, probably best to tell you. He went trapezing off to Mustafar with that other Padawan, Terin Oller."_

_" I know. We are currently right behind him."_

_" Oh._" His daughter seemed surprised. Then, _" Of course you are. Well, you are in luck. Right now Luke and Terin are trapped by an erupting volcano. They will probably be there for hours yet."_

_What?!_

_" Don't worry, Luke is fine and so is Terin." _Leia sighed. _" I am currently dealing with Luke's headache, actually. All the stress he inflicts on himself." _She then dunked her head again. Taking a big gulp of air, she then continued, _" His time is running out. If he doesn't act quick we'd be stuck with this timeline."_

_" The one where I die and Luke becomes a Sith Apprentice?"_

_" That one." _Leia undid her hair. The upper portion of her dress was damp from the water dripping over it. _" The things I put up with from my brother! Does Mother know Luke is on Mustafar?"_

Anakin blinked his eyes open. " Ferus, did you tell Senator Amidala that my son hijacked a plane?"

Ferus was still in meditation, so it took a few pokes to wake him.

" Of course not." Ferus said in annoyance. " We were more preoccupied with other things than informing her of this. Besides, what could she do?"

Nothing, and the fact that she did not know that Luke was gallivanting across the galaxy suited Anakin just fine. There was no reason when she is…currently…pregnant…with…Luke.

_Could the Force get any stranger?_

Hours later, the hyperdrive beeped.

" We are pulling out of hyperspace now." Anakin reached out with his one arm to anchor himself as they emerged back into normal space. Ahead of them was Mustafar, in all its redhot glory, followed by—

" _SITH!" _Anakin yanked the controls and the ship barely dodged a stray missile.

" AHHHHH!!!!" Ferus shrieked as the ship did a roll. His head then slammed into the hull as Anakin sharply jerked the ship the other way in order to avoid another missile. " AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

" Get the shields up, Ferus!" Anakin yelled. He would have done it, except his one arm was preoccupied with not getting them killed. " FERUS! TURN THE FREAKING SHIELDS ON!!"

After riding a few times in the copilot's seat with Anakin, Ferus did manage to learn how to deal with Anakin's sharp maneuvers and he pressed the button that activated the shields. He then gagged as Anakin slammed the reverse thrusters, pushing Ferus into his seat restraint.

" Man the guns!" Anakin cried, his one arm busy steering. He did another roll, before coming face to face with a missile. _Oh no—_

With a loud blast, the missile exploded in front of him. Anakin squeezed his eyes shut from the light. He then blinked them open, surprised their ship was not pulverized. _What…_

_" Move it!" _Obi-Wan's voice crackled over the comm. Anakin heard the sound of blasters as more missiles were shut down.

" Man the guns!" Anakin repeated, and this time Ferus was able to grab the controls even as Anakin did an about turn. " Hi Obi-Wan! Thanks for the save back there!"

_" I am not even going to ask _why _you are here,_" Obi-Wan's ship came into view, and Anakin saw the ship do a ridiculous flip in the air before he did a flip of his own. _Obi-Wan must be piloting. " But while you are here, let's get rid of this battalion."_

_" Too old for this, I am!" _Anakin heard Yoda lament as Obi-Wan's ship dodged another series of blaster fire. Despite the dire situation, the Jedi Knight found himself wishing he was on the same ship, just to see how Yoda was doing.

" WHOAAAAAA! For Forces sakes Skywalker—AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" To his credit, Ferus just began firing blaster bolts like there was no tomorrow.

" Hang on!" Anakin dove down to avoid crashing into one of the enemy fighters. Get rid of the whole battalion? With two ships? Who was Obi-Wan kidding? " Obi-Wan! Get down to the planet! The smoke clouds will confuse their sensors, they probably—" He yanked the ship to the right. " I'll cover you!"

_" Do as he says!" _Anakin heard Mace shout at Obi-Wan.

Ferus then launched two torpedoes that appear to strike one of the bigger, clumsier ships. It was demolished in a series of explosions that wiped out much of its neighbors. Obi-Wan then zoomed right past Anakin…away from the planet.

" Obi-Wan, what are you doing?" Anakin yelled, as he did a sharp U-turn in order to see what was wrong.

Obi-Wan circled clockwise around. _" Controls jammed! Ship can only turn right now!"_

Anakin cursed in Huttese. " Get down to the planet, Obi-Wan! I'll cover you!"

Ferus shot another torpedo, this one aimed at a smaller ship. As it exploded, several other ships crashed into it. Anakin zipped under the crash, thinking that maybe Ferus was pretty strong in the Force as well, if he could pull of such freak hits. Too bad he screams like a girl.

" SKYWALKER I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

Anakin did a spin as Ferus gasped for breath. He had stopped shooting.

" Shoot the fighters you nerfherder!" Anakin yelled, prompting Ferus into action again, but Anakin could sense the other Jedi was starting to feel very sick. " Don't go vomiting right now! We are in the middle of a battle!" As he spoke, they were suddenly struck. The shields went down by eighty percent. _Sith! _It was time to leave the scene. Anakin did another spin to avoid more blaster bolts as he descended as fast as he could toward the planet. The atmospheric friction wore away at the shields. Nineteen percent remaining. Eighteen. Seventeen. Anakin did a sharp turn in order to dodge another missile. Sixteen. Fifteen. Blackness suddenly covered them. They were in the clouds. Fourteen. Thirteen.

" We're through!" Anakin pulled the ship to a halt, or tried to. They were still going too fast, and the ship was no longer responding. " Oh crud. Ferus! Shoot a torpedo in front of us! Shoot shoot shoot!"

Ferus managed to obey, and the momentum managed to slow them down enough that the shields were not going down as fast. Anakin slammed on the reverse thrusters that no longer seemed to be working. " Prepare for a crash landing!"

The two full-grown men proceeded to scream as they hit the solid earth and skidded nearly to the lava river. Ferus opened up the doors and stumbled out before toppling over. Anakin raced out, danger senses still frantically screaming in him, and he lifted Ferus bodily. " We have to go! Now now now now now!"

They ran, before an explosion sent them flying into the air. The ship had blown up. Anakin felt his air get knocked out of him as they landed on the ground. It felt like a long time before he came to his senses.

" I should have known you would have come right after us." Obi-Wan's voice woke him from what seemed like unconsciousness. Anakin groaned and rolled over. He heard Ferus vomiting next to him.

" Who is it, that first had piloting skills?" Yoda demanded. What little remained of his hair was standing up, and he had what could only be described as a "what the heck?" expression on his face.

" Him." Anakin and Obi-Wan pointed at each other simultaneously. Anakin found that he was panting, hardly able to hold himself upright. He felt his body collapse back on the ground.

" Uugh," Ferin moaned, " Every time I promise myself I will never let Anakin fly the ship I'm in, _this _happens."

" Well, I have some good news and some bad news." Mace Windu stuck out a hand to help Ferus up. Ferus was shaking visibly. " The good news is, there is a large castle-like structure where presumably, Padawan Skywalker might be."

Anakin lifted himself up, blinking. Sure enough, a huge, dark, onyx castle loomed a mere quarter of a mile away from them, overlooking the river of lava surrounding it. _Luke?_

He sensed his son answer with some trepidation, but Mace was talking again.

" The bad news is, you and Obi-Wan both crashed our ships. So we cannot get off planet."

" Think Luke can hijack another plane?" Obi-Wan asked.

Suddenly, they heard ships coming down from the sky.

" Oh good grief." Anakin climbed to his feet, stumbling as Obi-Wan supported him. The ships had followed them down. Ferus, alarmed, fell down completely.

" We better get moving." Mace said.

" Ow!" Obi-Wan cried out, as Anakin's metal stump scraped against his jaw.

" Sorry." Anakin mumbled sheepishly.

The Jedi must have made a sorry scene, as three of them (including Yoda, whose wispy hair was still sticking up) stumbled against two of the more sure-footed members of the group as they fled area toward the onyx castle.


	23. Chapter 22

Turns of Fate

Chapter 22

It was hours before the volcano stopped, and hours more before Luke and Terin were able to make it to the castle, and by the time both boys arrived, Terin was exhausted from having to maintain the Force bubble, which made Luke rather glad that he made the other padawan take the responsibility. The sweltering heat made both boys hungry and thirsty, and the long, stressful hours made Luke wish he had time to take a nap before doing what he had to do.

_Got to catch the fish. The freaking fish. _

The gates were guarded by droids, which was retarded considering how idiotic they were. He disposed of all of them with no more than a yawn and some mental focus. Terin stared at the damaged pieces in astonishment.

" Come on, man." Luke strolled inside leisurely. " No use dawdling out here."

" Holy Force. Is that what you did to General Grievous?"

" Ehhh…I was a bit more theatrical that time."

Terin followed him with a baffled expression on his face that everyone around Luke seemed to love wearing these days, obviously thinking that even with theatrics, Luke's techniques were impressive. Inside there was air conditioning, which Luke thought was pretty awe-inspiring considering how powerful the machines would be.

He yawned again as several droids appeared. They twiddled their long heads before charging at him. He got rid of them with a thought. " I'm hungry."

The redhead glanced around. " Well, if you can do that to the Sith Lord, I'm feeling much better about this."

" Oh no, I can't do that to humans." Luke replied. " Or I could, but," He imagined a scenario where he crushes Palpatine's heart with the Force. Palpatine then shoots lightning at Luke, who is prompted to dodge. Palpatine's heart starts beating again as he continues to shoot lightning at Luke, who, without a lightsaber, is not able to block said lightning and is therefore forced to flee the scene. " It would just be harder." _I wouldn't be able to yawn in that case._

The halls were wide and rather grand, which made Luke wonder just what kind of slave labor had to put up with building this thing on a volcanic planet that erupts every so often. They entered a dark area and Luke switched on his training saber for more light. It would do diddly-squat compared to a real lightsaber, but Luke had not intended on using the thing anyway. Besides, Terin had a real lightsaber, and that was good enough for both of them.

It was a large, empty room, with no windows. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, upon which were carvings of of intricate designs.

" Huh?" Luke looked around, recalling Leia's palace rooms. " What, do they hold balls around here?" _Palpatine can dance? I gotta see this._

" It does not appear to have been used for a while." Terin studied the footprints made in the dust as he wandered into the room. " Maybe he had no use for it."

" So he builds this room for chuckles, you say?" Luke remarked.

" Would not be the first time someone does." The redhead pointed out.

Luke sensed a dark presence approaching. Palpatine was somewhere further into the castle, but this presence was not his. " We're getting company." He told Terin. Terin whipped his head around. He then looked around the room. There was nowhere to hide.

" Sith Lord?"

" No. Dark Jedi. Sith are more pure. Dark Jedi are just messed up."

Terin bit his lip nervously. That was still not good.

" You have me." Said Luke. " We have two elements of surprise. One: said Dark Jedi has no idea where we actually are. Two: He does not know I can crush his heart."

" But you say he's coming."

Luke paused as the dark presence veered off. " Doesn't mean he knows where he's going. He just took a slight detour. Let's explore the castle a bit more."

They managed to wander through several empty rooms, all of them covered with dust, before running into the Dark Jedi Luke had sensed earlier. He was a Nautolan, and rather tall, wearing a pitch black uniform that was so cliché when it came to Dark Jedi and Sith Lords. Luke and Terin stared at him and his orange lightsaber as it flickered to life.

" Hi." Luke waved. Terin immediately dropped to a defensive stance. Not that he needed to. The Nautolan was not particularly strong. Probably the reason why he touched the Dark Side.

The Dark Jedi stared at them. " How did you get in here?"

" Come on." Luke thumbed backwards. " How many years is it going to take for you folks to realize those droids are freaking stupid?"

" How is it that I cannot sense you?" The Dark Jedi asked warily. He was obviously very confused.

" I have two hundred midichlorians per cell." Luke told him with a knowing nod. " That, and also, I'm shielding. Hey can we go through? I want to see the rest of the castle."

Bemused, but angry, the Dark Jedi folded his blade to the side. " You are not going anywhere, little ones," He said menacingly, " As much as I wish to have a little bit of _fun_, you will die."

" Yeah," Luke telekinetically lifted the Nautolan off the ground and threw him behind them with an absent wave of his hand. " Whatever. See you later!"

He started strolling forward, but Terin was lagging behind, still gaping at the fallen Jedi. Luke groaned mentally at this—weak he might be, but the Nautolan was far more experienced than Terin, and Luke was not taking any chances with his partner and, Luke decided, friend. The Dark Jedi was climbing to his feet, and this time he would not be flung around as easily. Luke poked at Terin. " You'll have to fight him until I can get a hit through without getting sliced."

For a good measure, Luke tried to break the Nautolan's lightsaber before the Dark Jedi came to blows with the other padawan, but despite not knowing what he was doing, the Dark Jedi managed to jerk his lightsaber away and Luke missed. Terin jumped into combat while Luke stepped back. He was not sure how to go about fighting the Dark Jedi when Terin was in the way, but at the same time he could not just take over the battle. _This really sucks._

_Look for another opportunity to break his lightsaber._ Leia urged. _By the way, forgot to mention this earlier, but Father is on his way. I am not sure how far along he is, but he said he is coming after you.  
_

_Of course he is,_ Luke sighed after a stricken pause. Why did he not anticipate this before? Of course, he also anticipated his father to come back much later to Coruscant from his mission, and the nine hour trip would make it difficult to catch up to Luke. Except for the fact that Luke had crash landed several hours away from the castle and got held back by an erupting volcano. Life sucks.

Terin was holding his own. His master taught him well, and with Luke throwing random Force waves at the Dark Jedi, the two padawans were actually gaining ground.

Of course, Luke was also secretly absorbing the Force energies from the Dark Jedi. At length, the Nautolan was weary enough that he left his lightsaber vulnerable to Luke. The boy crushed the crystals inside just as Terin slashed at his opponent. The Nautolan tried to block, but his blade died, and Terin sliced through his middle like a knife through butter.

" That was easy!" Luke stepped over to get the broken lightsaber while Terin fell to one knee, gasping for breath.

" Easy for you to say!" Terin gasped, " You weren't blocking killing blows!"

" Well that's true, but hey, you have to do some of the work, no?" Luke twirled the broken lightsaber in his hand. The Dark Jedi was still alive, actually, and struggling to get up despite the fact that half of him was missing. Luke was strongly reminded of his vision of Darth Maul holding the giant Emperor Kingfish.

" I know you want to continue the fight, Black Knight." He said to the Nautolan, " But despite what you'd like to believe, this isn't a scratch or a flesh wound. You're dying."

" I'll bite your legs off!" Said Black Knight vehemently spat.

" We'll call it a draw." Luke actually felt a little bad for the alien. He set the lightsaber down on the floor next to the Nautolan, who snatched it up with his waning Force telekinesis. Terin jerked, but there was no need to be alarmed. Luke had broken the lightsaber. The boy considered the alien's gleaming eyes, still filled with life and energy. His death would be agonizingly slow, the way it was. " Here, give me the lightsaber." He said to the other padawan.

Terin handed his over as Luke held his hand out. He then sliced through the Nautolan's head. The alien's life signature snuffed out instantly.

" What did you do that for?"

" Mercy killing." Luke replied, feeling a little disturbed at the sight. " You didn't actually think it would be a painless death, did you?" He handed the saber back to Terin. " Poor guy. I wonder what made him turn. Let's get out of here before I get sick." He was getting the gist of how Terin was feeling earlier on the fighter before they landed.

It was the first time Luke had killed anyone. The thought was sobering. _There is no death. There is the Force. _Does that apply to the Dark Side?

_Well, _Luke thought, considering Count Dooku and his perchance of losing his head, literally, _I think it's safe to say that it does. _The notion made the mercy-killing a lot more bearable to him. It had been a necessary act, in its own way. He shuddered.

" You've never killed before?" Terin asked sympathetically, no doubt noticing Luke's unease. Luke shook his head.

" Have you?" Luke asked.

" Yes. In a way, at least."

" Indirectly, eh?" Luke released a sigh. " Were you able to sleep after that?"

Terin paused for a while. " No. Not for many weeks. Master Olin had to stay with me for the first two, every night. I had been so upset, I needed him to hold me." He released a wry chuckle that was completely mirthless. " Fifteen years old, and I needed to be held, like a baby."

Luke felt bad then. " I'm sorry," He said softly, though he was not sure why he said those words.

" Not your fault. Well, _this _particular case kind of is, isn't it?" Another wry smile. " I can handle it. That is the way of the Jedi. Sometimes we have to do things we do not want to, for a greater cause."

" I know." Luke said dryly. " I'm a Jedi too, in case you haven't realized by now."

Terin looked surprised. " Hm. It is a bit odd, but you are one, that is true."

They were heading toward Palpatine's presence when Luke suddenly heard a voice resonate in his brain. It was not Leia. _Luke?_

_Uh…_His father is out of hyperspace already? How long _was _that mission with Obi-Wan anyway? As soon as he thought this, he realized that he sensed other Force presences nearby. Five of them, to be exact.

" Oh crud." _Leia? How come you didn't mention that we would have _five _Jedi after us?_

_Five? _Leia sounded as surprised as he did. _Who?_

_There's Dad…Olin, I think, Ben, Windu, and _Yoda_! _Luke widened his eyes. _Whoa! We have a freaking army of Jedi now!_

_Seven Jedi is hardly an army, Luke._

_No it kind of is. _Luke thought back to Order 66. _If each army were led by seven Jedi officers, more of them would probably survive. _He wondered how that was going. _Well, one good thing came out of this. Dad's not at the Temple, so he can't die protecting the younglings._

_Instead he gets to die fighting Palpatine. Nice job, Luke._

_Look, I didn't make him come. And I fully intend on beating the living Force out of that old corpse before he has a chance to touch our father._

_With a training lightsaber._

_I have Terin._

His sister made a choking noise. _You _really _think you can count on Terin when you two face the Sith Lord._

_He's a Jedi! He happens to be older than me, and even if he was screaming like a girl earlier on the plane, that doesn't mean he'd wet his pants when he faces Pulpatino._

They walked into three Dark Jedi as Leia was talking to him. Terin had sensed them and already had his lightsaber at the ready. It was a Twi'lek and two humans, all wearing dark outfits like the Nautolan Luke and Terin had just fought.

" Force." Luke exclaimed. " Just how many of you guys are there? And why are you all working for Palps? Here," He told Terin, " You take that one, and I'll take these two." As he spoke, he extended his hands out to the sides, and then slammed his hands together in a clap. The two Dark Jedi flanking the group slammed into the one in the middle with a crunch. They collapsed bonelessly to the floor as Luke released his influence, unconscious. _I should have done that to the Nautolan. _Oh well, no harm done.

Terin was no longer surprised by Luke's demonstrations. " Let's go." He said, using his telekinesis to whip over their lightsabers, while turning off his own. They turned in the hallway to run into at least five dozen droids.

" Oh come on." Luke scowled. " I can't break them all at once." For a good measure, he tried clapping sideways, creating a horizontal wave that managed to knock the droids back a few feet, but it was not as effectively as actively breaking them.

" I can handle this." Terin whipped his lightsaber out. Luke stepped back to let Terin take care of things.

_Luke!_ His father sounded furious. _Please tell me you are not inside the castle!_

_Uh…_

_Luke, when I went on my mission _without _you, it was to _protect _you, not so that you can go looking for trouble!_

_I wasn't looking for trouble!_ Luke dodged a blaster bolt. _And I'm kind of busy right now! _He broke one of the droids. _Hm, with Terin here, this sure is easier._

_Please tell me you are not in the middle of a battle right now._

_Dad, why else would I be busy right now?_

_Luke, you are to come out right now!_

_Busy, Dad!_

Suddenly, the droids fell back. Ahead, Luke saw a group of officials, including Palpatine, who was wearing his dark hood in an oddly successful attempt to hide his face. His pace was slow and measured, though Luke could sense the black energies spark around him in his anger.

" This is an unexpected surprise." Said Palpatine with deceiving calm, as the droids formed a line in the middle to allow him to walk through. " And curiously bold, of Jedi, to think you can walk right in here without invitation."

" We were curious!" Luke folded his arms as Terin braced with his saber. The other padawan had dropped into a defensive stances, senses alert and Force presence coiling, ready to strike at the slightest provocation. Luke studied those behind him. Ten rogue Jedi, a few alien officials…good grief, how did he get so many Dark Jedi? _This is ridiculous!_

" Curiosity?" The Sith Lord halted a few feet away. " Do you know who I am, little Jedi?"

No doubt this was supposed to sound intimidating, but considering he was talking to someone who had pulled down his pants not three weeks ago and is alive to remember it, the effect was quite lost on Luke. " Yeah you're the Sith Lord Darth Sidious Master of the Dark Side brouhaha." Luke said quickly. " Say, have you learned how to keep your pants on yet? I know that as a politician you have a thicker skin than most " _Sorry, Mom, _" But really, I don't think mooning the galaxy is a particularly effective political strategy." _Okay, Leia, now is the time! _He sensed his sister groan as she prepared to help Luke force suggest Palpatine. The Supreme Chancellor's anger coiled around him, before simmering down into a dense collection of rage, calm for now, but ready to strike at a moment's notice. Next to him, Terin glanced sharply at him, though Luke was not sure why. Nor did he care.

_Luke!_ His father chose this time to interrupt. _What is going on?!_

_Not now, Dad!_ " Anyway, do you know who _I _am?" Luke asked, in order to stall for time so he could get his father to shut up and let him concentrate. _Dad, stop talking. I need to focus!_

Palpatine smiled, his expression filled with malice and his teeth, though not rotten yet, glinting a feral gleam. " You have a sharp tongue, child, fit with an arrogance unbecoming of your kind. You would make a great Sith, had you a decent mind to couple with your wit." This was supposed to rile Luke up, but Luke was not really listening to him.

Luke prepared to Force suggest. He intended to say, ' I am someone you will come with right now, without struggle from either you or your followers.' He ran that thought quickly by his sister, who approved. He opened his mouth.

_Luke! _His father yelled through their link, completely breaking off Luke's train of thought. _Tell me what is happening at once! I am ordering you! I am your father!_

Struggling to gather his wits, Luke did not even know what popped out of his mouth until a second later. " I am your father."

The old Chancellor's eyes glazed over as the Force suggestion washed over him and soaked into his brain, while Terin, crouched beside him, gaped.

" …"

" …"

_…_

_I just did something stupid.  
_

_Luke,_ Leia growled, _I am going to kill you._

" No," The white-haired Sith seemed horrified, and for good reason. Strangely, he did not repeat Luke's words. " No. No. That's not true. That's impossible!"

Luke sensed Leia smack her forehead onto her hand while he restrained the urge to wince. Terin was staring him with wide-eyed disbelief.

" Search your feelings," Luke urged, even as his mind was reeling from what happened—this was just too good and yet too awful in _so _many different ways, " You know it to be true." The best thing about this was that Palpatine would only confirm it with the Force. That was what Force Suggestions do, after all. They distort logical thought.

_Luke?_

_Dad, I am going to kill you for this! _

" That is right, my boy." The fifteen-year-old teenage Padawan said to the elderly Sith Lord. " I traveled through time to make sure you don't make a mess of things. And boy, do you make a mess of things, Son!"

_I am going to dunk my head in cold water again._ Leia informed him angrily. _I cannot believe you messed that up. I just—I—I just can't deal with this right now._

Luke was feeling drained from the botched Force suggestion. " And if you kill me," he went on, knowing that Sith Lords are hardly known for their loyalty to their blood relations, " You are almost guaranteed to fail."

His newly proclaimed son looked traumatized. Luke was getting a slight headache which he was siphoning off to Leia to deal with. Terin was still staring at him with wide eyes, while everyone else, including the droids, were looking at each other in complete astonishment.

Well, Luke figured, he might as well make the best of the situation. He needed time to recuperate from the mental trick, both he and Terin had not eaten in nearly twenty hours, and there Darth Sidious was, thinking Luke was his father. " So, why don't you treat your old man to a meal, old man?" He broke out into a hopeful grin. " I'm _starving."_


	24. Chapter 23

Turns of Fate

Chapter 23

They had no idea where Luke was, but they knew where he had been. At the entrance were broken droids, where Anakin easily recognized Luke's handiwork. In the halls was a Nautolan, or at least what remained of one, sliced in half by a lightsaber and face burnt off. Further inside were three more Dark Jedi, their Force presences tainted with their anger and hate, but subdued because someone had knocked them unconscious. Mace searched the prone forms for their lightsabers, but did not find any.

" I really doubt Padawan Oller could have done this." The dark-skinned Master observed. " This must be Padawan Skywalker."

Ferus was still busy quieting his stomach while Anakin jogged ahead. " There are more battle droids here." He observed. " Two dozen, at least." _This must be where he was when I was yelling at him._ Battle droids were easy to defend against, but if they come in great numbers it does require some concentration to dodge their blasters, especially when Luke was not very good at blocking with his lightsaber yet. Nervously, Anakin tried to remember if Luke had been struck. The boy sounded irritated when he claimed he was going to kill his father, no doubt for distracting him, but his son did not sound like he was in pain.

_Maybe they were captured._ Anakin thought. Which was still dire, but not as bad as if his son had been—

" I say we split up." Obi-Wan was saying. " We cover more ground that way."

" What if there is an ambush? No doubt the Sith Lord knows we are here by now."

" If we get captured all together, that would defeat the purpose of our mission here."

" But it is a lot easier to get picked off one by one! You think the Sith Lord does not know what is going on under his own roof?"

" Stop it!" Anakin shushed the Masters. " First let us find Luke. He probably knows more about what to do than we do, and with his ability to break lightsabers we probably would not even have to worry about getting picked off by the Sith."

The other four Jedi stared at him. No one even reprimanded Anakin for snapping at his superiors.

" How about you see if you can contact him first." Obi-Wan suggested.

_Hopefully he is still talking to me. _Anakin thought morosely as he stretched his senses through their link. _Son?_

_Mm!_

Anakin cocked an eyebrow. That was a strange response. _Luke, where are you? We're in the castle and we're looking for you. Can you tell us—_

_Gah, shut up! Hold on a second!_

Anakin looked at his mentor. " I'm not sure what he's doing, but he seems to be focusing on something." He said to Obi-Wan.

" Focusing on what?"

" I don't know."

_Okay, Dad, _Luke's voice resonated through their link, _Go find Terin. Ah, I'm going to let down the shields around him. He has about six droids escorting him and some rogue Jedi and they're heading…away from you, actually. But find him first._

Anakin blinked in bewilderment. _Luke, are you _eating?

Luke did not reply verbally, but he received a feeling of affirmation and some amount of pleasure. " Force." He remarked. " That kid—was I so ravenous when I was his age?"

" Are you seriously asking that?" Obi-Wan huffed. " What is going on? Is he demanding food or something?"

" No. Well, he's eating right now." Anakin decided not to mention that Padawan Oller had apparently been captured, and Luke decided to eat anyway.

A silence fell.

" Impressive, that is." Yoda remarked, with a begrudging incline of the head.

" He must have been stealing food. In the _Sith's _lair." Anakin shook his head speechlessly. It seemed like Luke would never run out of things to baffle his companions with. Just then, they sensed a flare of the Force, as Terin's signature became unshielded.

Ferus instantly forgot his sickness as he took off.

" Olin!" Master Windu barked, chasing after him. The remaining Jedi followed a little begrudgingly.

" Ferus!" Anakin called out. " He has about six droids and a rogue Jedi escorting him!"

Ferus did not break his pace, though Anakin knew he heard.

" Somehow I am glad that you will be responsible for teaching Luke." Obi-Wan said to Anakin as they rushed through the halls. " I don't know what I would do if you decided to take care of your stomach rather than help me fight a Sith Lord, or save me from captors."

" Depends on the situation. Supposing the kid did not bring any food with him on his journey, he could be starving to the point of unconsciousness right now. He might have decided it was necessary to replenish his energies."

" It's nice to see that you understand the way your son thinks, Anakin."

" Considering I also did not pack myself dinner, stealing some food from a Sith Lord does not sound like such a bad idea at the moment."

" The Force must live in your stomachs. This must be the Skywalker gene."

The Jedi in front of them drew to a halt and activated their lightsabers, before they began deflecting blaster bolts.

" Go!" Yoda called to them. " Find your apprentice!" He whipped out his lightsaber as well to take over. Ferus simply darted off without so much as a thanks, and Master Windu followed him. Anakin was a bit surprised at his fellow Knight's gall, but figured if Luke were being taken to prison, he might feel the same urgency.

" Looks like we got separated anyway." Anakin activated his lightsaber and began slashing with one arm. He did not even stop to consider that he was actually fighting alongside Master Yoda. They cut through the droid defenses quickly and ran up the stairs, not sure where they were going at first. " Where the blazes does this lead to?"

Obi-Wan ran back the way they came, but seconds later came rushing up again. " Army of droids, several hundred at least. We better get moving if we want to be of any use at all to Mace and Knight Olin."

Yoda was springing nimbly up the stairs, his cane tucked in one hand and his lightsaber, deactivated, in his right. His hair had fallen to the side, where, still standing straight, it hovered horizontally, the way Anakin's arm had before it dragged him to the door hours earlier. Anakin followed him out of the staircase and into the polished halls, briefly surprised by how agile the old Jedi was. He knew Yoda had engaged with Count Dooku several years earlier, but it was still something else to see the Grand Master Jedi in action. He could only imagine what Yoda looked like with a light—

" _Wha!_" A droid uttered a strange scream in alarm in front of them. The other battle droids surrounding it instantly burst into action. As Yoda sliced through one of them with a lightsaber, Anakin, from his taller height, was able to see that the droids were guarding a huge dining hall, lit by lanterns, where inside was some rogue Jedi, a few alien officials he recognized as part of the Confederacy, and…the Chancellor, and Luke. Eating a feast.

" Oh." Luke patted the Chancellor on the shoulder. " Fear not, my son. It's just a bunch of Jedi."

Stunned beyond comprehension, Anakin just stared.

" But Father—" Palpatine began,

" No no." Luke said with complete confidence, " Tell your droids to stand down. Master Yoda! Master Kenobi! How delightful it is that you can join my son and myself. You must be tired from your trip. Sit down, sit down." _Dad, it's not what you think._

Anakin was too confounded by the dialogue to respond. Judging from the never-before-seen shocked expressions on Yoda, and to a lesser degree, Obi-Wan, he knew that they were as dumbstruck as he.

" You must taste this, my dear Jedi guests." His son gestured magnanimously at the dishes. " Especially this one. This is a fresh Emperor Kingfish, so much so that ten minutes ago, it was still flopping before it was brought to the kitchens!" Anakin looked down at the large, golden fish. Some of it had already been eaten.

The scene before him was just _wrong._ It was about as wrong as seeing Darth Vader hold balloons. Luke was resting his hand on Darth Sidious's shoulder with the same paternal gesture as Anakin whenever he did the same thing. His young face was full of charismatic confidence as he gestured with his other hand at the table. Palpatine looked like he was both confused and alarmed, and about as clueless as Anakin when he stared up at the Queen of Naboo for the first time in his life, discounting the times he thought she was a handmaiden. Disregarding the complete impossibility of the scene, the two looked like father and son. With Luke being the father and Darth Sidious being the son.

What? _What_?! That was _his _son! Not—Luke is fifteen years old and Palpatine's—but—!

He glanced at Master Yoda and Obi-Wan and could feel their mutual shock.

Finally gathering his wits together, he demanded of _his_ son,

_Luke, what did you do?_

_I was trying to Force suggest him. But then you distracted me. Now he thinks I'm his father. This is all your fault!_

_Wh-What? What?! _What_?! How the hell is this my fault? You weren't telling me what you were doing!_

_I told you to let me focus!_

" Understand this, I do not." Yoda was finally able to state. He might have sounded calmer than most Jedi, but Anakin could tell the Grand Master had absolutely _no _idea what to make of this. " Explain this, you must, young Padawan."

Anakin could not help but wonder why Yoda had not addressed his son as " Padawan Skywalker". _He is not the Grand Master for nothing, _the Knight thought with some awe. No doubt he was beginning to realize what had happened.

His son leaned over to the Sith. " Nine hundred years old, a few brain cells lacking, eh Son?"

And then, for some reason, his son cocked an eyebrow at Anakin.

" What the heck happened to your arm?"

Anakin glanced down at the stump despite knowing what his son was talking about. " Ugh. Long story involving magnets." Then his temper flared. " What is this about you being the Chancellor's father?"

_I told you already!_ On the surface, Luke just smirked. " Long story short…I am his father. Time travel is the answer to anything that cannot be explained. The Force works in mysterious ways!"

Understandably, Obi-Wan and Yoda at each other first in bewilderment, before both looked at Anakin to gauge his reaction. Anakin was still too astonished to know how to properly react. It occurred to him that he should be angry in order to maintain the charade, but that was not the way of the Jedi. Actually, he should be trying to kill his son now. Luke had pretty much declared that he was the father of a Sith.

_Son of a—no, can't use that. Sithspit!_

The three Jedi glanced at each other for a second, filled with confusion. The Force offered no answers. Of course, when had it ever, when it came to Luke's antics?

With a sudden clarity, Anakin realized that they had been befuddled long enough. They had a rather simple choice: dispel Luke's bizarre claim over Palpatine, or support it in order to help maintain the charade, which would hopefully lead them to some good end. He pulled out his lightsaber, alarming several aliens also in the room. In a flash, he had five lightsabers pointing at him, none of them from the Jedi he came with. As one, the Jedi activated their lightsabers, and a full-scale fight began.

" This is quite a unique experience." Luke said to Palpatine, as the Jedi (both official and rogue) tried to hack at each other without getting killed. " I have never had the opportunity to watch a Jedi performance during dinner. While I am here, you should take the opportunity of demonstrating Sith performance."

Palpatine looked like he had no idea how to reply.

_Luke, what are you doing? _Anakin yelled at him through the bond, _At least get under the table so you would not get hit!_

_I just Force suggested a Sith Lord! _Luke snapped. Anakin was left completely confused as Luke went on to say, " Also, tell your friends to keep the Jedi alive and relatively unharmed. We'll need them for later."

" Yes, Father." Palpatine then relayed the orders to the rogue Jedi. " I must ask, however, why must we keep them alive?"

" Patience, my son." Luke replied, and Anakin felt like his world had turned upside down somehow. " You will learn soon enough."

He leaned back in his chair to watch the fight.

Palpatine was nowhere as calm as Anakin's son. He looked like he would very much like to either join the fray or flee the scene. Anakin, with his single arm, could not afford to shout at Luke, even mentally, nor could he avoid stepping over Palpatine's plate as he dodged lightsaber strokes.

" Look at that!" Luke pointed. " Master Yoda in action! Aren't you glad you're here to see it? You did not get to when he was facing your other apprentice. What was his name, Dooku?"

" Enjoying yourself too much, you are!" Yoda broke off to exclaim. The mayhem then continued and Anakin saw, from his peripheral vision, Luke give a quick shrug.

The brat! Anakin was not certain how long he could keep the other Jedi from swinging at Luke. Just because his son did not seem bothered by the flashing lightsabers around him did not mean he was not in danger. He managed to block a blow quite close to Luke's head. Luke did not even flinch.

Did his son not have any instinct of self preservation?! Even Palpatine had more sense than his son! The old Chancellor had gotten off his seat and crouched under the table while Luke continued watching

Luke suddenly sprang up from the table and struck the nape of one of the rogue Jedi Anakin was fighting, a loud crack resonating in the dining hall. Anakin stepped back to block another lightsaber as the body fell to the ground. He sensed danger and ducked as Luke sent one of his formidable Force waves over his father's head, blowing the other Dark Jedi backwards. As Anakin spun around, his metal stump slammed into Luke's cheek.

" Ow!" Luke yelled, wincing.

They both ducked. The lightsaber hummed overhead. Anakin slashed at their attacker with his lightsaber, cutting off both legs.

Suddenly, a red lightsaber hummed between Anakin and his son. Palpatine slashed at Anakin, who jumped back just in time. The Chancellor, his eyes gleaming yellow, snarled at him as he attacked again.

Anakin had been prepared for Palpatine to be a Sith Lord in the end, but what surprised him was that the man was attacking only him and not Luke. Then he realized that Darth Sidious still believes Luke was his father.

Anakin could name a number of missions he had gone on where ridiculous things happen, but once again, Luke seemed to have outdone him. The Knight found himself fighting a Sith Lord who was trying to defend Anakin's own son from him, and he was not even sure why he was fighting back.

He blocked an aggressive blow with one arm, the force of which pushed him back a step. Palpatine was at it again, inflicting blows and stabs that required all of Anakin's concentration to block and dodge. He could not possibly keep this up for much longer with one arm!

Suddenly, Master Yoda swooped in, his own lightsaber clashing with both Anakin's and Palpatine's. With a skillful maneuver, he inserted himself between Anakin and the Sith Lord, and began driving Palpatine back. Anakin glanced up at Luke and wanted to hurry to the boy to check him over, but Luke suddenly held out his hand. _Wait._ He said with the gesture. _Now is not the time._

It occurred to Anakin that Luke was probably the safest person in the room. Obi-Wan and Yoda were not attacking him, and neither were Palpatine nor his two remaining Dark Jedi, one of which fell to Obi-Wan's blade. He was in the odd position of being everyone's supposed ally.

Luke was trying to get Obi-Wan's attention without calling him. He made a crushing motion with his hand and Obi-Wan's opponent lost his lightsaber. Obi-Wan, not expecting this, gaped as he instantly decapitated the Dark Jedi as a result. He then turned around to Luke with an uncertain glare.

Luke jerked his thumb at Yoda and Palpatine. Knowing he wanted someone to help Yoda, Anakin stepped forward as well, but his son then held up his hand again.

_What?_

Obi-Wan dove into battle with the Sith Lord alongside Master Yoda. Luke suddenly force-slammed Anakin into the wall. It was not a very harsh slam, but it was loud and it knocked some of his air out. Then his son ran over to him with a feral expression, still holding Anakin to the wall with the Force.

" Okay," He hissed under his breath, still maintaining the expression that looked completely wrong on his face. " Here's the thing. You can't face Darth Sidious with one arm. Let Yoda and Obi-Wan handle it. Where's Olin and Windu?"

" They went to get Ferus's padawan. Luke, what are you planning?" Anakin whispered back.

" Things got screwed up." His son spared a quick glance at the three combatants. He looked back at Anakin. " Was supposed to capture Palpatine with Force suggestion and bring him to Coruscant. Now he thinks I'm his father and I'll have to keep up with the charade for as long as possible. Listen," He lowered his breath even more, " There's a hologram recording somewhere in this castle. It records his orders to issue Order 66. He was telling me about it earlier over dinner, in case he was ever ambushed by Jedi. We need to find the recording and get rid of it."

" So? Let Yoda and Obi-Wan handle Palpatine while you and I go look for the recording."

" Not that simple. We don't know what kind of security he has." Luke replied. " He could very well automatically issue the order when we attempt to unlock the barriers between us with a tripwire or something. Far safer to let Palpatine lead us to the recording himself."

" How do you intend to do that?"

" I always knew I was meant to duel you." Luke's expression was grave. " Hold me hostage. Palpatine thinks I'm the key to his glory. He won't risk my life. Go go go go go!"

He suddenly whisked away one of the rogue Jedi's lightsabers and took a swipe at Anakin's head. Anakin barely dodged, but only because he had not expected that. He had no idea what his son was doing. Then again, when had he _ever? _Those last three weeks were a reprieve. Luke dove in for another blow, holding nothing back. At this point, his son probably knew that even at his best, Anakin could beat him, and that was assuming Luke used his other Force tricks, which his son, strangely, was not.

_No anger._ Anakin sensed. The boy was not fighting to win. He was fighting to maintain a ruse. Activating his lightsaber as well, he blocked Luke's oncoming attack. This is just like a spar. Well not entirely like a spar—his masters were dueling Palpatine and Anakin only had one arm. Does the Force have a sense of humor? Anakin was pretty sure it does, at this point. Just not one he necessarily appreciated.

Taking advantage of the training bond, as well as his parental bond, he opened up his side so his son could sense his every move. He sensed a returning gratitude—Luke had appearances to keep up, and apparently this would help.

Suddenly, Anakin was struck down as searing Force lightning blasted into him. Agony like he never felt before crashed through his systems, and for an eternity he knew nothing save pain. When it was finally gone, his body trembled with aftershocks, and he felt like he had lost his mind.

The next thing he knew, warm hands held his shoulders. Through the black spots dancing in his vision, he saw the worried eyes of Obi-Wan peering down at him.

" Anakin?" Obi-Wan was calling him. " Are you alright?"

Master Yoda was next to him. Not fighting Palpatine. Obi-Wan was also not fighting Palpatine.

" Where is Palpatine?"

" He took off." Obi-Wan told Anakin. " Luke shouted that they were outnumbered and Force pushed us back as we both came in for the killing blow." He sounded baffled and irked.

" H-He's not dark." Anakin spasmed. " I messed him up when he was Force suggesting. This was my fault."

" Not important, that is." Master Yoda said, though he had a bewildered expression that did not suit him at all. " Still of use, the Dark Lord is, or else spare him, Luke will not."

Obi-Wan held Anakin steadily as Anakin tried to quiet his frayed nerves. Anakin found himself relieved that the two masters did not seem suspicious of his son.

" We have to get to Luke." Anakin stood on shaking legs. " Can't leave him alone with a Sith."

" Fared well earlier, methinks." Yoda replied with a confounded expression. " Even fed himself gourmet cuisine."

The three Jedi looked at the chaos that scattered across the dining hall. Remains of fine dishes mixed with rubble. The bodies of the rogue Jedi and some broken droids littered the room.

" Fared far better than us, Luke did." Master Yoda concluded.

" I'm not taking any chances." Anakin finally managed to stand by himself.

" Very well." Obi-Wan kept his hand on Anakin's shoulder until he was certain the Knight was alright. Then with disbelief in his tone, he asked, " Why did he run off with Palpatine? Do you know?"

" Order 66. Hologram recording. Luke needed to find it." The Force lightning Palpatine used no doubt ruined Luke's plans, since Anakin distinctly remembered his son asking to be held hostage…by his own father. _Too bizarre for words._

The three Jedi was silent for a moment, before as one, they moved out of the dining hall in the direction where Luke and the Sith Lord fled.

_Luke!_ Anakin called to his son. _Where are you?_

_Follow my son!_ His son replied quickly, no doubt busy again. Anakin managed to avoid projecting just what he had to say to that reply.

" One thing, I must know," Yoda said to Anakin as they went, his voice high and shrill, " How does this always happen with you Skywalkers?"


	25. Chapter 24

Turns of Fate

Chapter 24

It had been absolutely priceless. Once Luke had gotten over the absurdity of the Force suggestion and the fact that it actually _worked_, he quickly realized the advantages to having Palpatine wrapped around his thumb. First was the gourmet dinner (which was absolutely _delicious _and took care of his headache quite nicely…although most of the pain he had transferred to Leia already by that time, but still) and the fact that he could order Terin to be fed a much less appetizing meal in the dungeons in order to maintain his new advantage over Sidious (which made Luke feel both guilty and yet sadistically pleased with himself—he would make such an awful Sith Lord, he _knew _it), but really it was the looks on the Jedi when they observed his behavior with Palpatine (and Palpatine's behavior with him) that made every bit of this trip, from lasting twenty hours without food or water, getting stuck near an erupting volcano, and finally facing the old corpse himself, completely and absolutely worth it. Yoda's eyes, which were usually half-lidded in his old age, were impossibly wide, almost popping out, young Ben looked like he had been electrocuted, and his father, now Palpatine's unofficial grandfather, looked so thunderstruck that Luke was actually impressed he had the wits to communicate to Luke through their bond.

Oh yes, this was all absolutely delightful, _far _better than pulling down Palp's pants, or setting him on fire, or blasting him off into space, or turning him into a newt, or—

_We get it, Luke._ Leia had finished dealing with Luke's headache. Considering how everything was strangely going their way (with the exception of their father getting electrocuted…well, maybe this was not _totally _worth it) she allowed herself the luxury of giggling over their situation as well. Things really could be a lot worse. Palpatine might doubt Luke's intentions of helping him. After all, as Darth Vader could testify, just because one sired an offspring does not mean one would side _with _the offspring, and the same goes the other way. Luke did not wonder much about why Palpatine decided to trust him. He had a feeling it had largely to do with the old corpse's humongous ego, especially when it concerned his own rotten destiny. Palpatine firmly believed he could get rid of the Jedi and establish his Empire, so of course, when the Force tosses in a time-traveling father, this could only help him, not hinder him. Failure is impossible because Darth Sidious is just that awesome, _blah blah blah._

To the matter at hand, however, they were currently running to where Palpatine hid his hologram recording as per Luke's request. The truth was Luke was not sure what he was going to do once they get there—he could destroy the hologram, which would instantly break his cover. Or something.

_I really liked the sabacc idea a lot better._

Really, the only issue Luke had right now was Palpatine's Force lightning. He wished there was some mystical way to hold up his hands and just block the lightning or something, but he was fairly certain it would not work. What he needed was a lightsaber, but Luke was still ridiculously bad at the lightsaber for his age and he was not confident that he could anticipate the lightning's direction. Otherwise, he would not really care when his cover broke, as long as he could just cut off Palpatine's head.

_Sith Force lightning is no fun though. _Even with lightsaber skills those things were more than just a nuisance, and Luke had limited lightsaber skills. _Hurray._

So he had to dispose of the recording and simultaneously make sure Palpatine could not make a new one, or worse, just issue it in person via a comm. Even as Darth Sidious's father, this was easier said than done.

First step, however: _finding _the recording. Which, conveniently, his "son" is helping him do. Luke suppressed another snicker at the thought. Oh Force, this situation was simply ludicrous.

" This way, Father," Palpatine led him, forcing Luke to suppress another giggle and for Leia to just burst out laughing on her side. They turned in the hall and came upon what looked like a dead end. Palpatine stopped, and planted his feet, holding out his hand. Luke sensed him stretch out into the Force, the energy dark and grimy like the old corpse himself, and various locking mechanisms behind the smooth wall in front of them turning and clicking. _A Force-locked trapdoor. Clever._

He could hit Palpatine right now, probably. Luke looked at the back of the man's neck. No. Too risky. He was concentrating, true, but the Sith is still several decades older than Luke and far more experienced. He might sense Luke's intent and just block. Then Force lightning. That will…not be good. His father was coming, Luke knew, as was Yoda and Ben.

But then, in between his angsting over what to do, the situation became ten times worse.

_Luke._ His sister suddenly called, mirth leaving her mental voice. _Luke, something's wrong._

_What?_

_Something is wrong here._

She had just said that. Something _was _wrong then_. _Luke frowned. He had not even done anything yet. _What? What's going on?_

_The environment is changing._ Leia paused, while Palpatine continued to open the ridiculously complicated lock. _Luke, I think I'm—_

And suddenly she was gone.

For one heart-stopping moment Luke had no idea what just happened. Their sibling bond went dead silent, ending in nothing.

What? _What? How?_ She was just talking to him earlier! Frightened, Luke tried to grasp for answers from the Force. Then the truth hit him.

Leia was _gone._

The future had changed somehow. And this time, Leia was not in it.

_Okay! Don't panic! Don't panic Luke,_ He thought frantically to himself, more horrified than sorrowful. _There is still time, still time to change things, oh crud crud crud—_He wished he could look things up on the holobrowser, but obviously without Leia that was impossible. But still, what exactly would cause Leia to die right this second? Did something happen to their mother?

" Father," Darth Sidious had opened the trap door, " This way."

" Wait." Luke closed his eyes as if receiving a vision. _Think, Luke, think! For Force's sake you always tried to outsmart your sister. Sure, she's gone right now, but this is only temporary. Only temporary. Something might have happened to Mom, but that doesn't mean it's not reversible. How to figure out, how to figure out? _He had no time to meditate. This was urgent.

_Dad!_

_Luke?_

_Do you have a comm link?_

A slight pause, which nearly made Luke mad with frustration.

_Master Yoda has one. What?_

_Contact Mom! Make sure she's alright! Hurry hurry hurry!_

As his father checked, Luke tried to plan. Without Leia, he felt utterly lost and confused, and while he always knew how much he depended on his sister in the past, never before had he felt such a desperation without her around. _But before, you always knew she was there. Now…_

Cold, emptiness. Leia was not there. The bond they shared as siblings stretched off and disappeared into thin air. He called to her, but she could not answer.

_What do I do?_ Luke thought despairingly. Something was wrong. Something happened, just now, that led to Leia's disappearance. Was it the fact that Palpatine thought Luke was his father? But that was reversible, and the future had never changed until something irreversible occurred—not in the past, anyway. It always seemed inclined to move along its present course until something knocks it away with no hope of return. Either something happened to his mother, or Luke had made a grave mistake that caused the eventual death of his sister.

But did the Force not bring him back precisely to change the future? After all, why else would there be time travel involved? He thought back to his visions, of the Sith Lords yelling at him on Mustafar, of Darth Vader holding the balloons in an absurd metaphor. The Force coiled around him, urging him to _think_, to make sense of things instead of just blindly following the cues as he had been. He was doing something wrong. He had to have done something wrong. Surely the Force would not give him a twin sister, only to take her away at the last minute!

He had to catch the fish. _Catch it. Not kill it._ String it along in the water. Let it breathe. Let it struggle. Do not let it get away, and do not let it die. Abruptly, Luke realized he was approaching his tasks the wrong way. He and Leia always knew why the Sith had to rise in power. The galaxy needed a new Jedi Order, and that cannot be established until the old Order is overthrown.

Catch the fish. Pull it out of the water, out of its home that it made for a thousand years. The fish had not been Palpatine, though the vision had made it the Emperor Kingfish to lead Luke to Darth Sidious. It was the Jedi Order. The visions had not bothered with mentioning the possibility of killing the fish, because that had been what happened in Luke's own timeline, and it was obvious that was not what Luke was here for—but if he lets the fish go, Alderaan will pop. No, Alderaan was something more, as well. It was not just the planet itself.

Force confound it with all its stupid messages! What was he supposed to do? The Jedi Order and Republic need reboots which require a Jedi Purge and a Galactic Empire, but if that was all dandy than Luke would not be here. Killing the Emperor and stopping the purge meant killing Leia and possibly turning to the dark side himself. This whole conundrum was impossible! _What the Sith?!_

_Stay calm Luke, stay calm. _He could force-suggest Palpatine into thinking Luke was his father. He could save his sister and set things right again. The recording. They were going to issue the recording, or rather, Luke was about to destroy it. If he destroys the recording, there would be no reboot. If he does not, there would be a Jedi Purge.

Unless he could reboot the galaxy differently? Leia's words came back to him, weeks ago, when Luke had wondered if there had been a more peaceful way of fulfilling the Force's need for change. _There might be, but it would probably not work as well._

But still work.

Luke opened his eyes. He suddenly realized what he had to do. The Force pulsed with Destiny. " Son." He said to the old corpse. " Before you issue the recording, you must do something else."

" What?" Palpatine blinked at him.

" You must disband the Jedi Order." Luke said with finality. " Before you do anything else, you must dispel the Jedi."

Palpatine contemplated on this for a while. " I would have to return to Coruscant for that." He said. " I cannot simply issue the order. I would have to make an official announcement in front of the whole galaxy."

" Then we depart." _And I get a free ride back to Coruscant._

_Your mother is fine,_ His father told him then. _She is on Naboo, still, at home. Safe, and there does not appear to be anything wrong with you two. Luke, are you alright?_

Luke sensed a subtle shift in the Force. He knew Sidious sensed it too, for the two of them stood in silence for a moment. The future has changed again, and Luke could feel it even without Leia's testimony. But Leia did not return. The bond led to nothing. Then, in a flash, he saw in his mind's eye her Force presence flare lightyears away. Her soul was young and powerful, and not yet in the living world.

Leia is here. The Leia he grew up with is gone for good.

_Luke?_

_Father._ Luke replied, his mental voice steady. He was feeling the sturdiest he had ever been. Perhaps it was the shock of losing his sister so suddenly. He did not know. But he was thankful that he was no longer panicking, because he needed to be steady and calm and rational right now. He could sense that time was drawing near, and that whatever had to be done must be done as soon as possible. The end was coming. _Be careful. Palpatine will be disbanding the Jedi Order, so we are heading back to Coruscant. I will be alright. Send Masters Yoda, Windu, and Obi-Wan to Coruscant as quickly as possible to maintain the Jedi group.  
_

" Let's go." He said to Sidious, who nodded. They went, and Luke sneaked a glance back at the now-opened trap door. Palpatine, in his haste, had forgotten to lock it again. _Having parents around can really screw up one's plans. _He thought ruefully. _Dad, the trap door to the hologram is open. Make sure you destroy it before heading out to Coruscant._

_Luke? What?_ His father exclaimed. At least he was not a fool, for, with a groan, he muttered, _I don't know what you're planning, but—ugh, why do I even ask? But…we do not have a ride back._

_…_

What?

_Why don't you have a ride back?_

_We both crash landed. Where is your ship? I am assuming it is gone, since Leia mentioned you were stuck near a volcano._

Luke repressed a groan. _Force. My ship's crash landed too._ He scowled. This was a mess. How did all seven Jedi crash land on Mustafar? _You went through the battalion, didn't you? Fine. I guess it is your turn to stow away on _my _ship, this time._

_… _

His father had nothing to say to that._  
_

Luke was forced to smooth away his scowl when they arrived at the hangar. With a few Force tricks, he tweaked the ship's mechanisms in order to delay the trip in time for his father and his companions to arrive. He then gradually shielded all six other Jedi in order to hide their presence from Darth Sidious, who started at their sudden disappearance, before smirking. He obviously thought they were killed.

_Moron._

Luke boarded the plane and waited for the astromechs to get the ship back online. He and Palpatine settled in their seats, with Palpatine far more relaxed now that he thought the danger was over. Seriously, the guy did not even defeat the Jedi himself, and yet he gets so cocky over his supposed victory. Can his ego grow any bigger?

Luke sensed the other Jedi regroup before sneaking onto the ship.

_We're on board, Son._ His father told him, his tone a bit sulking. _Padawan Oller is here too. He is really upset at you._

_And the hologram? _Luke asked, ignoring the latter comment.

_Taken care of. After we get home, I am grounding you. I'm serious.  
_

Luke shrugged. What are fathers for, after all.

When they had settled, and checking their shields to make sure they will not be discovered, he turned to Sidious witha quick wistful thought that it was odd how events played out, with him and his father switching roles from the trip to Utapau. _Just weird. That is all it is. Weird._.

" So…" Said the boy. " It's a nine hour trip back to Coruscant. Do you know how to play sabacc?"


	26. Chapter 25

Turns of Fate

Chapter 25

Anakin had no idea what Luke was planning, but he seemed to be manipulating Palpatine with far more ease than he ever had the right to. Fake parental rights notwithstanding. The boy had answered none of Anakin's questions, though while dealing with the Sith Lord, he was probably too preoccupied with keeping one step ahead of Darth Sidious.

It was distinctly odd to see Palpatine as a Sith Lord. Even back when Anakin began suspecting, he had not truly believed it. Now, though, the man's usually benevolent features had become hideously malicious. He was still the Supreme Chancellor, but he had become a different person, it seemed.

But what really made this entire situation surreal was the fact that he was stowing away on his son's ship with two masters, one grand master, one knight and two padawans—one of which was his son and a pretty powerful one at that—and there was only one Sith Lord on the ship. The question became: why were they not killing Darth Sidious right now.

The short answer was that Luke told them not to. The long answer was only known by Luke. Anakin had yet to figure out why Luke had asked after his mother. In fact, there were a lot of things Anakin had yet to figure out, like how all of them ended up in this position in the first place.

Anakin rubbed his eyes. This was unbelievable. He was dreaming. This was some huge hoax from the Force. Earlier, when they were stowing away with Padawan Oller, the boy had furiously explained that Luke had been the one to throw him in a cell.

_" He claims to be the Sith's father, and when the Sith Lord asked what I was doing there, he said that he brought me along so that the two of them could eat me!" _The padawan had freaked. _" He says ' If we eat this Jedi padawan, we'd both get more midichlorians. I need those because I only have two hundred.' What the Sith! Then Sidious orders the rogues to kill me, and then Luke tells them to throw me in a cell in order to keep me fresh for later!" _

When the padawan learned that while he was starving and frightened in his cell, Luke had been eating a gourmet feast, he had become even more irate. _" It wasn't enough that he had to steal my clothes while I was in the shower, kidnap me from the temple, get me stuck in a volcano! He had to toss me in jail too and threaten to eat me without giving me anything to eat!"_

Anakin had done his share of tormenting Obi-Wan and Ferus back when he was an irresponsible teenager, but he had to wonder where Luke got his inspirations from, because even in Anakin's wildest moments, the elder Skywalker had never thought to bring up cannibalism even as a joke. Anakin loved his wife dearly, and knew that she was the sweetest, purest, fairest, most perfect angel in the galaxy—but this demonspawn of a son had to have inherited his evil traits from Padme, because Force knows, they did not come from _Anakin._

He heard Palpatine decline the offer to play sabacc. " They play sabacc in your time, Father?"

" Of course." Anakin's son replied. " I'm fifteen years old right now. I'm still cool. I'm probably actually cooler than you, my eighty-year-old son."

" How did you know I was your son? Or rather, I will be your son?"

" Where do you think you inherited such strong visions, my boy? They certainly didn't come from your mother."

" Ah…what happened to her?"

" That I don't know. After you were born, she wasn't as important to the galaxy."

_I hope that's not how you view your own mother, Son. _Anakin thought.

" Though based on your question…I suppose you don't know either?"

" I was apprenticed to my master when I was young."

" That I do know." There was a creaking of chair. Anakin could imagine his son reclining back. " But enough of that. I'm bored. Know any Sith jokes while we're waiting?"

" …Sith jokes?"

_Oh no. _Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan. Padawan Oller also looked a bit mortified.

" I learned a lot of Jedi jokes when I was at the temple. They were _awful. _The only halfway decent jokes those folks could come up with were about Yoda." Luke then proceeded to recite a few. Everyone looked at Master Yoda with some trepidation. " I was hoping the Sith had a slightly better sense of humor than that."

" The Sith," Palpatine said dryly, " Have better means of spending our time."

" No you don't." Luke yawned. " But I suppose it is best for you to believe so."

Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan. This kid was preposterous.

" So tell me about yourself."

" What do you mean?"

" Well I'm only fifteen. I'm not your father yet. Why _are _you a bachelor?"

" …"

Anakin resisted the urge to smack his forehead. He sensed the other Jedi shift uncomfortably at the question.

" Such connections are symptoms of the weak." Palpatine said dismissively.

" Ah, but you should consider that if I hadn't done it with your mother, you wouldn't be around to 'be strong'."

Anakin repressed a choke. Force, was that _his _son? Padme would be mortified! It did not help that the other Jedi were staring at him as if this were his fault.

Palpatine seemed to be at a loss for words, which delighted Luke considerably, the rascal. Anakin could feel his pleasure through the bond.

" Seriously, as Supreme Chancellor, you would have your pick of the most beautiful women in the galaxy. Or men, if you're into that. I'm disappointed, Son."

Anakin slammed his knuckle into his forehead. It was better than his palm, since it made less noise and was more painful. Maybe the pain would distract him from the fact that his son was utterly evil.

" As Emperor, I imagine the choices would be even more infinite, Father. Do you think that taking one would help me?"

" Oh, in so many ways, my son!" Luke exclaimed, as Anakin bowed his head in defeat. There were so many connotations with that reply. He hoped Palpatine did not understand all of them. " Besides, you can have your own Force-sensitive child. Then who needs that Anakin Skywalker?"

The Chancellor actually considered this. " Hm."

" After all, he's so troublesome." Luke went on. " You keep stealing Jedi. First Count Dooku, then Anakin Skywalker. It's true that the Jedi Order does most of the work for you, but then you have to go through all the trouble of making them _unlearn _it all."

" Indeed." Said the Chancellor. " It was going along well…until you showed up."

" I had to stop the mistake." Luke said casually. " Skywalker's responsible for your downfall—which is what we're trying to prevent, of course."

An awkward pause. " Was it necessary to pull childish pranks, Father?"

" As parent, I have the right." Said Luke. " You will give me much grief. Besides, I'm fifteen years old. You get your wickedness from me, Son. Though it's amplified and in a different direction. Ever wonder why you're so short? That's from me too."

_And I suppose the Chancellor gets his midichlorians from me. _Anakin thought wryly.

This was just absurd, how Luke and Palpatine really did sound like father and son. Except for the fact that they were completely not. He warned his son through their mental link, not to say anything stupid that would alert Palpatine of the charade.

Luke was oddly silent. Normally when people tell him not to do anything stupid, he would parody lawyers and say, " I object! I never do anything stupid!" Perhaps he was distracted. Or perhaps he did say something stupid.

Who was Anakin kidding? Of course Luke said something stupid. It was the reason why Obi-Wan and Mace were staring at him while six Jedi were stowing away on a Sith's ship with Luke pretending to be Palpatine's father. It was Anakin's fault, but that was besides the point.

" Now come," Luke went on, " I also want to learn more about the Sith cult you've joined. I want to learn about Plagueis. Basically, what has my son been up to the past few decades?"

Under the guise of father, Luke managed to worm out all the secrets of the Sith from Palpatine, and the Jedi stowing away onboard were there to hear every word. Palpatine had no idea that anyone else was stowing away on the ship, thanks to Luke's shielding, and Yoda listened intently, no doubt planning on jotting everything down in the archives once this was over.

At least Luke was starting to become useful…again…

" So Darth Maul's coloring," Luke said after the Supreme Chancellor divulged most of the secrets of the Sith, including midichlorian manipulation, " Were they tattoos were was it just body paint? Because seriously, son, it's gotta hurt having all of that done all over your face."

" Of course they were tattoos. If it had been paint it would have washed away."

Luke was silent for a moment. " That's a good point. Ouch. Also, why Dooku? I mean, he does sort of remind me of one of those made-up blood-sucking humanoids with pointy fangs and great black cloaks, but the guy's an absolute retard."

" One does not seek an intelligent apprentice." Palpatine replied. " One merely seeks a useful one."

" Egh, true enough. Well in that case you chose a fine one in Anakin Skywalker. Regular hothead, got everything to lose and doesn't even know it—was Senator Amidala a gift from the Force or what? You know, you should have had a go at her. She's hot."

_I did not raise him._ Anakin mouthed vehemently to Obi-Wan, who looked like he was repressing both a frown and a laugh. _Remember that? I was gone. He was raised by his uncle and aunt. _Speaking of which, as soon as this was over, Anakin was making a trip to Tatooine to discuss with the Lars about their parenting methods, because this was not to be borne! How could Luke even say such things about his _own mother?_

" Unfortunately, Senator Amidala was far too proper for such an affair." Palpatine said rather wistfully.

" Did you try, at least?"

" Hahaha, I did my fair of seduction."

Anakin clenched his fists. _Son of a—_

" But her heart was claimed by another quite early, it seems."

_You got that right!_

" She has to go, by the way. She'd be a real thorn in the side. However, you have to disband the Jedi first before you do anything with her. As long as she's pregnant she's vulnerable. The Jedi—not so much. The Force demands the Jedi Order be washed away—we'll have to do that first before you assemble your Empire. My son," Luke actually sounded genuinely delighted, which was starting to worry Anakin, " An Emperor! And that makes me the Emperor's father! Oh boy, I am so proud!"

_Luke, _Anakin thought to his son, _Your acting skills are so amazing that I'm starting to feel a little disturbed. _He was not the only one. All the Jedi were getting discomfited. Their only reassurance was that Luke had not revealed them to Palpatine.

_I'm entitled to have some fun after the mess you've created!_ Luke sent back angrily. _For Force's sake, I'm stuck with this rotting corpse for nine freaking hours! And I have to make sure he doesn't meditate in case he figures out I'm not his father! Sithspits! I haven't slept in like forever and I can't until we get this bastard to Coruscant! Now leave me alone!_

Oh. That explains a lot. He gestured to Obi-Wan and whispered what Luke told him in his ear. Luke had the unenviable job of keeping Palpatine awake and not meditating during the entire trip. No wonder his son was spewing so much nonsense.

" So here's the plan." Said Luke. " I'll take your red lightsaber and pretend that I'm a Sith. You go to the Senate building and pretend that I was the one that rescued you. Declare that the Jedi have betrayed the Republic and that they are thus disbanded. Once that order has reached the Council, what they will do is order everyone home since they're going to fight the disbanding by banding physically together. Then you issue Order 66. That way, you guarantee that no Jedi escape."

This plan would have been alarming if six other Jedi were not listening to this at the very moment.

" Afterwards, once the Jedi are all dealt with, you will declare the birth of a new Empire. Then I go back to my original timeline and all is well."

" That sounds fair."

" My son, the Emperor. Has a nice ring to it, yes?"

" Indeed, Father."

_Mwahahaha, _Luke sent to Anakin. The mental cackle had a distinct impish quality to it.

_He's not actually going to allow Palpatine to disband the order is he?_

Just what kind of son did he sire?

Yoda looked grimly at Anakin, but he was not sure what the ancient Jedi was thinking. Master Windu was looking at Obi-Wan, while Ferus held his padawan in a tight embrace. There must be a reason why Luke was suggesting this plot. And letting the Jedi hear it. But what were they supposed to do in response to this?

_Dad,_ Luke sent, growing serious all of the sudden, _I'm going to ask Palpatine to disband the Jedi Order. When he does, you will be given approximately three days before he will launch Order 66._

_…Why?_

_In my timeline, the Jedi Order was destroyed._ Luke broke off to ask Palpatine a question in order to prevent the other from musing. _The Force allowed this. There was a reason it did. The Jedi had to go away for a while, and at the rate things were going, the Jedi weren't going to go away by themselves. So the Emperor ordered a Purge. Many Jedi were killed._

Anakin's jaw clenched grimly.

_My coming here doesn't change the fact that the Jedi still need to go away. But I don't want the Jedi killed. I happen to like Oller, and a lot of their stupid board games. So you folks will have the honor of being told exactly what to do from someone who knows, and go away yourself._

_What on earth does that mean?_

_It means the Jedi have to withdraw from the Republic. Once he disbands the Order, tell Yoda to gather all the Jedi, but not to the Temple. Find a suitable retreat, Dantooine, or possibly somewhere else, and just hide out for a while._

_And sit there? What are we supposed to do while we just 'hide out'?_

_Wait. _Luke replied. _Wait for the sign. _A pause. _Father, I was meant to start a new Jedi Order._

Anakin's jaw loosened at this.

_I got all carried away while I was here, but it doesn't change the fact that…there were things I knew in the past, of future, however you look at it, and I knew there were certain things that needed changing. Like the whole Jedi Corps thing. That's gotta go. I was supposed to start things from scratch, make a new Order for a new Republic. Well I don't want a whole massacre of lives, but the whole New Order and New Republic still has to happen somehow. That's why Leia's gone now._

Leia's gone?

Luke broke off to tell Palpatine something. He then returned to the mental dialogue with his father. _Don't worry. Little Leia's still here, as is little me. But as I was saying, we have to do things the harder way._

Obi-Wan, who had noticed the dazed look in Anakin's eyes, realized that the young man was communicating with his son. Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan and grabbed his arm to indicate that Luke had further plans. Obi-Wan nodded at the other masters.

" You know what you should do, Palpy," Luke broke through their musings, " You should take some hints from Maul and get a tattoo. It would make you look…well I guess you've already got wrinkles so you don't really need tattoos."

_What have Padme and I done?_ Anakin lamented.


	27. Chapter 26

Turns of Fate

Chapter 26

They entered Coruscant amidst the swirling energies of the Force. It was almost disorienting, how the energies seemed to shimmer over everything.

" Do you sense it, Father?" Palpatine asked. " Destiny beckons."

" Yes yes." After about three hours or so, the whole "father" business had gotten old. Apparently it was true what they say: it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Maybe if he had about a day or so of a break away from Palpatine, he might find the situation funny again.

Right now though, he felt sleep-deprived, and Leia's absence struck him coldly in the chest. _Force._ It was odd not having her there. He would even take her more colorful insults, if only to hear her reassuring voice speak to him about the complete idiocy of his plan.

Down through the air traffic, past the lights and sound and onto the landing pad. Luke found himself itching to rub at his eyes, but he did not want to give the impression that he was tired. With Leia gone, the power he could use had just been halved. Granted, he usually tried to use only his own powers unless he was trying to Force suggest Sith Lords, but he had no idea if some of his powers had been amplified without his knowledge. He did not want to have to test that with Darth Sidious so close.

" Father, we should go to the Senate halls immediately." Said Palpatine.

" Very well." Luke swallowed a yawn. " Lead the way."

Ahead, the clonetroopers waited in rows, while several senators met the Chancellor at the landing pad with shocked looks on their faces. As Luke also exited the ship, he saw the stowaway Jedi squished in a back compartment, hidden in the shadows. Among them he caught a hint of a green pointed ear.

Yoda and five other Jedi stowing away like criminals. Now _that _was funny. It was too difficult to repress the grin splitting on his face, so he did not bother. He caught a hint of disapproval from his father. Like _he _was the one to talk! He was fairly certain that the heroic Anakin Skywalker had his share of forcing Obi-Wan to stow away on the ship. Though granted, forcing Yoda was definitely many steps above that. Thankfully, no one seemed to think his impish smirk was anything unusual, which just proved to Luke that Leia was wrong about him having to behave himself. He had already established a good enough reputation on Coruscant that Palpatine _expected _him to be grinning for no reason at all.

Or maybe Palpatine thought he was grinning because they were taking over the galaxy, and everyone else thought he was happy about saving the Chancellor. Funny how preconceptions often work in his favor.

" How did you escape your kidnappers, Chancellor?" Asked one of the senators.

" It was all due to this brave young man here." Luke caught a hint of hesitation in the words, presumably because Palpatine was considering how he had just called his own father a young man. " But there is more to tell, and I must address the whole republic on a matter of great importance."

_Here goes nothing. _Luke thought, and as he followed Palpatine toward the great Senate building, he stretched his senses toward his father. Truth be told, there was something comforting about having that bond. He was not completely alone.

_Hey Dad, got everyone out yet? _Luke considered their surroundings and doubted that even with three Jedi Masters, six Jedi could make it out of the ship undetected. They were surrounded by clonetroopers._  
_

_Stealing the ship. _His father replied.

Sure enough, when Luke turned his head around, the ship was taking off the landing pad. Palpatine turned at the hum of engines.

" What?" He blinked.

" Must be one of the pilots, taking it away to make room for more." Luke said quickly. The clonetroopers obviously thought they had flown in _with _a pilot, because none of them tried to stop the ship.

_Why didn't I think of that?_ Luke wondered. It was such a simple way to escape that he felt a bit like a moron. Not to mention the tactic tended toward the absurd, simply flying off with the enemy's ship as ludicrously as walking straight into a guarded palace, which meant Luke _definitely _should have thought of that.

_I still beat you with experience. _His father sounded amused. _Also, slept on the ride here._

Luke cursed. _I hate you, Dad. _Just like his father for catching some shuteye while Luke exhausted himself trying to keep Palpatine preoccupied instead of meditating.

_Hate leads to the dark side._

_Shove it, Father._

His father sent an amused wave of affection across their link. _Be careful, son._

Oh, Luke had to be careful alright. Without Leia, he would not be able to predict what will happen next. Now he was really walking around blind._ Disconcerting. _He tried not to think about what the consequences were if he made a mistake. With the way the Force whipped around him in a frenzy, invisible to all but the Sith and Jedi, he had no way of knowing what was going to happen next even through meditation.

At long last, they arrived at the Senate. Luke found himself staring at it with both awe and dismay. In the galaxy he lived in, there had been no Senate, at least not the same sort. Here he lingered on the brink of an old, nearly forgotten age.

Strangely, all he could really think about was Ben, how the old Jedi lingered alone with only the memory of the Jedi Order as it was. In all the excitement, he had not gotten around to getting to know Obi-Wan after all. Of course, getting to know his father had taken priority, but Ben had been his teacher, his mentor, however short it had been.

He was suddenly struck with the strong desire to tell his father to take care of Obi-Wan, in case Luke did not make it.

_Hey Dad,_ He started, but stopped himself. What was he doing? He would only freak his father out.

_Luke?_

_Never mind._

They entered the dark hallways of a building that his mother once worked in. Luke wanted to run his hands along the walls. The Force kept swirling and whirling around him, urging him forward, anticipating what he will find. He swallowed the urge.

" Call the Senate to order." He heard Palpatine say, as he entered the auditorium. Luke remained outside, because news reporters were already showing up on the scene. Some tried to press their cameras to Luke. He warned them off with a snarl. Pretty soon, everyone was going to be a lot less happy about Palpatine's supposed "rescue".

Unfortunately, they mobbed him so much that he became distracted with fending them off than listening to what Palpatine was saying inside the auditorium.

" To ensure the galaxy is safe from the Jedi's betrayal," The old corpse was stating, " I hereby order Coruscant to be barricaded. No ships are to leave or enter for any reason whatsoever."

_Wait, what?_ Luke cursed again in his head. That was not good. The whole plan had been to get the Jedi off Coruscant and away from danger before Palpatine could execute Order 66. _Sith sith sith sith sith!_

" What about the Jedi outside Coruscant? They are the generals of the Republican army! How would we be able to subdue them?" One senator asked.

" The Jedi Order is hereby disbanded. All Jedi lose their claim to any position of authority within the government or in the army." Palpatine answered.

_Dad, you might want to hurry up with the flying. Palpatine's barricading the planet against all incoming and outgoing flights._

He heard his father curse. _On it, Luke. _

There must be a way to stop the barricade..._If there is though, it would have to be without Palpatine's cooperation. _Who could help? Bail Organa?_ No. _Not even the Senator could smuggle Jedi off planet if there were no ships going out.

But they could wait out the barricade. Sooner or later Palpatine will have to lift it, if only to sustain himself. Coruscant was one of those retarded planets that had absolutely no native resources. All the food and water and materials came from off planet. The hazards of turning an entire dustball into a single, ridiculously crowded metropolis. Even Tatooine was not this bad.

Heck, even _Mustafar _was not this bad.

In any case, if the Jedi could hide among the city folk for enough days, they could probably wait until the barricade inevitably lifts. Once there is a hole within the blockade, then Organa would have something to work with. Based on what he knew of Leia's father, Organa is nothing if not resourceful. He'll figure some way to tear the hole wider. All they needed was the Jedi to not be Jedi. That meant cutting off those idiotic braids and shedding the tunics and hiding the lightsabers.

_Dad, when you get to the Jedi Temple, call Bail Organa. Have him bring civilian clothes. Lots of civilian clothes. And if the Temple has any underground tunnels, use those to wander out into the city so no one recognizes everyone is a Jedi._

His father seemed to understand_, _because Luke sensed an acquiesce, before suddenly the picture of Yoda loomed before him. He wondered why his father was projecting that image before realizing that Yoda would be a little bit difficult to hide. So would Yaddle, actually.

_Huh. Maybe they can pretend to be stuffed toys?_

Stunned silence.

_I'd want a Yoda._ Luke supplied. _I'd even buy a Yaddle to keep him company, except I don't think Yoda's really all that interested in girls, even from his own species...maybe he likes guys..._

_Luke, I am actually trying to fly in a straight line for once._

_Right. Well, figure something else. Stuff the two of them in a suitcase or something. Got to go, see you later._

Luke found himself smirking again. He really had to stop doing that; this was serious. He was actually quite nervous, especially when Palpatine finished talking to the Senate and started heading towards him, but the more frightened he was the giddier he became. He thought of Leia and how she was not around to tell him what an idiot he was being. Rather than subdue him, the thought only made him more anxious and hyper. Force, he needed sleep. In fact, he was actually starting to become nauseous. On the Tatooine sands, he had never developed a habit of pulling all nighters, and he was fairly certain that at this point, between piloting through missiles, surviving a volcano, and keeping a Sith Lord distracted, he had been awake for at least forty hours.

He wanted Aunt Beru. And even grumpy Uncle Owen. Especially grumpy Uncle Owen. There goes another thing he might mess up. As if trying to keep his father, mother, and sister alive were not enough. He wanted to laugh and cry all at once.

" What are you smiling about?" Palpatine asked.

" Oh, nothing." Luke replied, his brain freezing for a moment before recalling the ridiculous conversation he just had with his father. " Just had an image of a toddler swinging Yoda around and stuffing him in a bag. 'Unhand me, you will!' Do you think he's into men? I think he's into men. I don't think he wears pants either. Come along, we have to build our resources before we decapitate every Jedi in existence."


	28. Chapter 27

Turns of Fate

Chapter 27

The Jedi Temple was in an uproar when they arrived, or as much of an uproar as a temple full of peaceful, knowledgeable, and serene users of the Force could be, which meant that instead of crowds running around screaming, everyone was walking around very fast and taking in low but vehement voices. Anakin pulled Padawan Oller out of the way of one of the Jedi Knights while Ferus yelled for everyone to clear a path. People were frantic enough that at first, no one realized that Yoda and two Jedi Council Masters had returned.

They needed the comm, and they needed it fast. There was no telling how quickly the blockade would form around Coruscant, and while Luke did not mention anything about ground patrol, it did not take a genius to predict that would happen very soon.

Yelling was not Jedi, but then Anakin's own career was probably coming to an end either way. " _Everyone out of the way!"_

Sure enough, this caught everyone's attention, and he promptly shoved his way through the hall. Ferus and his padawan came with him while the other masters remained behind to brief everyone of what has happened and what their plans were.

" We have a stock of civilian clothes." Ferus said to Anakin. Occasionally when Jedi went undercover, they would need a new wardrobe.

" Not enough for everyone!"

" Well how many more do we need?"

" At least one for each of the remainder."

" I can go look at the list." Terin offered. " I'll contact you once I see the total sets." With a flick of his arm in farewell, he branched away from the knights.

" We have about two hundred and sixty Jedi, including the younglings." Anakin said quickly. " I estimate we only have at best one fifth of that. Even if we do manage enough, two hundred and sixty new bookings in hotels all at once is going to look suspicious." _Luke, how long do we have?_

_I don't know._ His son answered.

_Well, what does Leia say?_

_Leia is indisposed._ Luke replied curtly. _Fast as possible wins the race. I'll delay Palpatine as long as possible. He's in no apparent hurry thanks to my assurances that Jedi take forever to debate what to do next, but you don't have forever. Oh, and feed Terin when you get the chance._

Anakin growled. Like that was going to happen anytime soon, though he did wonder how the boy was managing. He had gone without food for as long as Luke had gone without sleep.

" We probably won't be able to save everyone." Ferus said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Anakin glared at him. " Well, we sure as _Sith _will try." Just like Ferus to give up on the ideal just because he thought it was impossible. Luke Skywalker coming to the past was impossible. Darth Sidious thinking Luke was his father was impossible. Yet look at the state of the galaxy. " There's the comm. Ring Senator Organa."

The senator had just managed to secure some privacy when he received the transmission. Anakin was brief. " We need clothes and refuge."

Organa was equally so. " _Sewers._"

It took Anakin a moment to understand what he was saying with that one word. Organa had made no attempt to hide his friendship with the Jedi. He would not be able to provide refuge for them, since Palpatine's forces would likely search him first. The senator was also aware of the problem Anakin had mentioned. If they could not escape by going up into the sky, they could reverse their direction and head into the deep bowels of Coruscant.

The problem with that is that bowels on any planet, even Coruscant, is unpleasantly dangerous. " We have younglings."

"_ That is precisely why no one would look for you there. Not at first, anyway._"

Anakin threw up his arms. Arm. His prosthetic was still a stump. He stared at it in irritation.

" And what about when they decide to look? We'd be trapped."

"_ I'll forward you a blueprint of the maze. Hand that to each squad. In the meantime I'll erase the blueprints from the databases. How many sets do you need?_"

" We need to get back to you on that." Ferus replied before Anakin caught up with the question. " My padawan is looking at the number we have so far, but if possible, we'd need around two hundred and twenty sets of clothes."

Terin's voice cracked over the comm. " _We have forty sets."_

" What I said."_  
_

"_ You seriously think I have that many clothes just lying around?_" Organa exclaimed in disbelief.

" No, but you're the one Luke told us to go to, and we have no way of getting them ourselves."

The senator groaned. " _How quickly do you need them?_"

" As soon as possible. It's only a matter of time before the temple is surrounded."

" _Do you have underground passages that no one else knows of?_"

" Sending the directions to one now." Anakin replied. " Please drop the clothes at this entrance here."

" _I'll do my best._"

As soon as the connection closed, Luke's voice echoed across their bond. _Palpatine's targeting the younglings first. Since the Order is disbanded, all initiates are to be returned graciously to their parents._

Anakin paused, wondering if they could afford to give up the initiates to buy some time; if the children were being returned to their parents, that can't be a bad thing, right?

_No,_ Luke said wryly, _Except Palpatine would then have records of who use to train as Jedi and be able to target them and their families later. In this case, Dad, you're going to have to fight them, buy the younglings some time. We're not going to get out of this mess without some violence. If it helps, I'll be leading our wonderful Fettishes, which means I can probably convince them to stand still like statues while I duel someone. It's what they do best, anyway._

_Duel? Do you even have a real lightsaber now?_

_Yes I have a real lightsaber now._ His son sounded even drier than before. _I recommend Yoda. No one's seen him duel except Count Dooku, who's dead now, thanks to you. We can say that his old bones and short stature are the reason I'm holding my own against him. Also, my impressive Force abilities. In the meantime, you keep the bond open and tell me when the younglings are out._

_And then what? You'll go back to Palpatine and claim that all the children disappeared?_

_I'll go back to Palpatine and claim that all the children disappeared. Dad, I'm not stupid. I can't Force suggest him again and I need sleep. I'll give the signal and the Jedi can attack the clonetroopers. After that, I'll be held hostage in the temple and I'll smuggle out along with the rest of you because I'm not going back to Sidious again. I can't keep up this charade for much longer._

Of course. Luke needed to escape as well. His position of complete security could crumble at any minute. The boy needed rest. He could feel his son's exhaustion.

_Say your goodbyes to your eighty-year-old son, Luke. _He could not resist teasing.

_Ugh._ Luke groaned. _Did you contact Organa yet?_

_He's on it._

He felt the connection close. Ferus was staring blankly at him.

" Done?" He asked. " What did Luke say?"

" Got to find Yoda." Anakin replied. " Come on."

The majority of the temple had quieted down, with Master Windu giving clear instructions on what to do. Anakin hurried near him and whispered in his ear. He felt a little irked when the Jedi Master did not seem the least bit surprised. Neither did Obi-Wan when Anakin spoke to him about Palpatine's plans.

" Palpatine still thinks Luke is his father?"

" It appears so."

" We'll assign an unpaired knight to each youngling and transport them through one of the secret passages."

" I gave Organa this one," Anakin handed the datapad to him.

" Then we'll head to another. We'll station some knights at the entrance you gave to pick up the supplies. The rest of us will distribute through the halls and ambush the clonetroopers when Luke gives the signal."

Yoda uttered a "hm" sound, which reminded Anakin of how Luke had made some rather irreverant suggestions regarding the Grand Master. " Go easy on Luke." Anakin pleaded.

Yoda raised his forehead with a look of interest.

" Easy on young Skywalker? Been naughty, your son has."

" He's sleep-deprived." Anakin found himself as close to whining as he ever dared around the Grand Master. " You know how it is. A person without sleep is like a person full of alcohol."

" Luke is _always _like a person full of alcohol. Or drugs." Obi-Wan huffed. " He has your genes. Except paired with Padme's foresight, which somehow made him ten times worse, not better."

" Much time, we are wasting." Yoda harrumphed. " Move to positions, we must. Assign knights to younglings, we must. Some might need three to one knight. All master-padawan-learners should also pick up another youngling. Also, notify Jedi outside Coruscant, we should."

" We can't have them coming to Coruscant." Anakin protested. " If we tell them what's happening, they'll head straight here!"

" Warn ones who are coming away, we should. As disobedient as you and your son, most Jedi are not." Yoda scowled briefly at the blonde knight, before his features smoothed into a slight smile. " Though save us all with your rebellion, you might. Too early for such talk, it is. Hurry, we must! Go!"

Ferus and Anakin ran off to two separate directions, with Anakin going off to the initiates and Ferus heading to meet Organa's shipment. As a knight, Anakin never really appreciated young children; he found them awkward to be around, especially as all of the other Jedi had been here as initiates and he was the one exception. Luke was a far cry from a youngling, but he had two bundles of joy waiting for him on Naboo. That changes one's perspective.

The very young infants and toddlers were easy to manage, since they were simply clad in baby outfits and did not wear anything too conspicuous. Several knights were stuffing especially young ones in baskets made of straw and putting them all in a giant paper box to make it look like a shipment. The young man paused to grasp what he just saw before promptly disregarding it. He was pretty certain there were worse ways of accomplishing the same thing.

" Younglings don't go on missions. What are we going to do?" He heard a Knight ask another. " There aren't any costumes for them."

" Yes there are. Just pick an outfit for one of the shorter aliens."

Anakin suddenly wondered if Yoda had ever gone undercover. Did he ever wear normal clothes?

" We don't have enough for all the younglings!"

" That will take care of itself." Anakin then wondered how Organa was going to figure out how many clothes of each size to get. It was too late now. They have already wasted too much time talking. " Get the children together!" He whirled around and tripped over a board game.

" Get everyone dressed," He went on, starting with one frightened three-year-old boy. It occurred to him briefly as he pulled the shirt off the child that this would feel very much like child molestation in any other context. He felt more awkward when he was compelled to help the boy take off his trousers.

_Force confound it, I am a father, _but it did not make him feel any better about the situation. If things had not been so dire, he would have thought his son engineered this entire fiasco simply to humiliate him. It would not be too far from what Luke usually did.

He tugged on some atrocious shirt and pants over the three-year-old and handed him to a seven-year-old youngling.

" Go follow the others to the northwest dormitories." He told her. " Take him with you. Go quickly!"

Then he proceeded to strip another four-year-old girl. At least the children could keep their undergarments. His comm beeped as he tugged a dress over the child and pulled the sleeves into place.

" Ferus?"

_" That Organa works fast, but he's not able to clad every single Jedi. He has a giant seafood freighter filled with carts of clothes over here. Send some younglings who don't have civilian clothes and we can smuggle them somewhere safe."_

" Somewhere safe? Where's safe?"

_" Cellars of a seafood restaurant. Make sure the children you send aren't whiners; it's going to stink a lot for the next few days. On the bright side, they'll have plenty of food, if it's not rotting."_

Oh. _Gross._ " That's...uh, will do that. How many kids can fit in there?"

_" A good fifty in the freighter, if they're all squished together."_

" I'm sending down the older ones. Skywalker out." Anakin turned to the rest of the younglings. " All kids who are twelve cycles gather to the door! Now! Now! Move!" And the children jumped into activity as the twelve-year-olds headed to the doorway, which slid open as they approached. " Don't head out yet. You!" He called to a Nautolan padawan, " Count how many there are."

The Nautolan counted quickly. " Fourteen, Master."

" Fourteen. Fifty divided by fourteen is...? Twenty-eight...forty-two. All initiates ten cycles and above, gather over here! One two three..." Anakin trailed off as he counted more, " Forty-seven? Head out to the northern hall. There's a passage...none of you know where the passage is. Padawan, lead this group out over there. Knight Olin will be waiting for you. You will load the initiates into the seafood truck that is waiting outside the passage before reporting back here."

The padawan looked baffled. " Uh...yes, Master. Come, everyone, we must make haste."

Just as the padawan left, Terin Oller appeared, hovering several large crates that smelled like fish. For a moment Anakin thought the boy had actually brought fish, until the redhead lifted the lids to reveal some slightly damp but wearable clothes.

" Organa guessed that you'd want mainly children's clothes." The padawan told Anakin as he threw him a frilly pink dress. " Everyone get suited up and head towards the northwestern dormitories! You three!" He exclaimed at three frightened children, " Are you three ready?"

They gave him mute nods.

" I am not undressing another girl." Anakin said flatly, throwing the dress to another knight.

" Aha." Said the knight. " You _would _be concerned with that, wouldn't you?"

" What the Sith is that supposed to mean?" He exclaimed.

_He means you have a better love life than the history of all Jedi and would therefore know about lecherous things._ Luke remarked.

_How in the galaxy would you know that?_ Anakin was fairly certain he was not broadcasting his thoughts to his son.

_You are broadcasting your thoughts to your son._ Luke replied dryly.

" And what does that make _you?_" Anakin cried out loud to the smirking Jedi. " You understood what I meant!"

" I, for one, don't know what either of you are talking about. You three, you four, come with me." Terin turned. " Everyone else, when you're ready, head to the northwest dorms!" He headed out as the doors slid open.

_I'm approaching the Temple with an army of Janga Fett clones armed possibly armed with hidden cameras to record what transpired._ Luke broke into his thoughts again. _I suggest you place yourself somewhere where you can notify me when all the younglings are out of the temple so I know when to lose to Yoda._

_What?_ What was Luke suggesting? Did he seriously think Anakin was going to just sit back and let his son handle a Grand Master?

Luke heaved a mental sigh. _I know you like being on the front lines, Dad, but this time is not a good time. I need the advantage of the Force bond I have with you to receive non-verbal cues. If you're present in the fight, who's going to tell me when all the younglings are out?_

This was ridiculous; _he _was the father, not Luke, after all! Luke was his son, and he was not going to leave things up to fate where that was concerned; just because Luke thinks he is invincible does not mean he is, and Anakin was going to make sure his son will not suffer for it. He sent a pulse of acknowledgement before reaching for his commlink. " Obi-Wan. Luke is on his way. Get all the padawans down here; we need help dressing the toddlers. Place the knights in defensive positions for the northern passage and the northwest dorms; that's where all the younglings are. Also the initiates ward, since we're here getting dressed. I'm on my way."

Obi-Wan sounded unusually calm. _" Copy that, Anakin. Padawans sending your way._"

This ends now. Luke was done playing Palpatine's father. Anakin was going to get his son back and slaughter every single one of those clonetroopers who stood in his way.

" I'm heading out." He told everyone in the ward. " More help will come." He patted his lightsaber before strolling out in brisk, purposeful steps.


	29. Chapter 28

A/N: Penultimate chapter! Sorry if this one is a bit rushed. It's been a wild run, though, and there's no sense in dragging this out any longer, kekekekeke :D Thank you so much for your reviews, I know I'm not very good at answering them all but you have no idea how happy it makes me to see your comments! Lots of love to you all! You've really made my year! (And golly, this fic took over a year! But what a year it has been! :D)

Turns of Fate

Chapter 28

There were certain things that bemuse Luke to the extreme. One of them was the Force, since it always seems to only work when it is convenient to spur its listeners into looking for trouble. The other was the galaxy's choice of military—the Republic used droids that were infinitely useless, and the Empire used clones, which started off useful all the way up to eliminating all the Jedi, and then became infinitely useless ever after. Sometimes Luke wondered if the clones realized their mistake in following Order 66 and decided to become incompetent in protest, but if that was the case, they had even less self-preservation instinct than Gungans.

It was interesting to lead an army of clones toward the temple, like he was important or something. Palpatine had given his "father" a nice, crisp costume of black, black, and black, which made the clones look ridiculous in their shiny white armor. If Luke wanted, he could force all the clones to stand on top of each other and form a white flag of surrender.

_Hey, there's a thought._

He had no idea what he would find at the temple; Luke was so tired he literally ached, everywhere. Ironically, he found, it was possible to be so sleepy that one could not feel it. The body must have some backup reserves that turn on after a sleepiness threshold. _Hm…_

They had flown from the Chancellor's office and landed near the temple. Luke had a cape which he flared every once in a while just to suit his vanity. Behind him, the clones held their blasters at the ready, and the teen hoped that the Jedi managed to get all of the younglings out. Knights dying was part of the job, but younglings were a different story, and he did not want another massacre.

Seeing the temple this way reminded Luke of the first time he came to Coruscant. He was following his father and Ben, and then he jumped on the roof, and then he asked for food and pulled Palpatine's pants down! _Wow, if I can go back in time and repeat that one…_it would be preferable to the current task.

Honestly, Luke had no idea what he was doing.

And there was no Leia to help.

Yoda and the rest of the Council were waiting for him when he entered. Time to begin the act.

"Skywalker," Yoda stated as the clones filed in, "Turned against your family, you have." He said this with that calm neutrality he probably would have adopted even if Luke _had _turned.

"That is not my name," Luke said, trying to make his voice menacing and actually doing a halfway decent job. The Sith either growl or drawl. Drawling worked better with an aristocratic accent; Luke had a farmboy accent, so he chose growling. "I am Darth…" _Wait, Palps never gave me a Darth title! Kreth!_ "Bob. I have been looking forward to finally killing you, _Jedi._"

Next to Yoda, Obi-Wan's lips twitched noticeably and he turned a peculiar shade of red, with a constipated expression on his face.

The Grand Master himself looked as incredulous as he ever did. "Unkind, your master is to you."

"We are Sith!" Luke lit his lightsaber, "We are kind to no one!"

The Council members turned on their lightsabers, with Obi-Wan still looking like he needed some form of relief. The clones lifted their blasters, but Luke held out a hand and was gratified to note that they held at his silent command.

"I want to duel the little green troll," Luke said to the clones, "What say you, _Master Yoda?_ One on one, as you pacifist Jedi so prefer as little bloodshed as possible. If I win, I will burn your temple to ash and everyone in it. If I lose, you will be allowed to live."

The charade did not have to last overly long; the clones were not terribly intelligent (despite having a genius "father") and would not realize Yoda was agreeing to the terms too suspiciously easily.

"Arrogance is the folly of the Dark Side, young one," Yoda gestured to the other masters to deactivate their sabers, "Many Sith have fallen due to their pride."

_Uh…right. How to answer that…?_

"Shut up and fight," Luke snapped, deciding to be brief, and lunged forward.

Luke had about three weeks of lightsaber training under his father, and it was good, intense, focused training, but it basically amounted to him knowing how to hold the blade without burning himself and performing awkward strokes against dummies. Yoda had lived for about nine hundred years and presumably he kept practicing his katas, which gave him a clear advantage.

Obi-Wan liked Soresu. Anakin Skywalker liked Djem So. Yoda apparently liked Ataru. Luke Skywalker liked wildly-swinging-your-lightsaber-randomly-in-your-opponent's-direction.

The Force's habit of only working to get people in trouble kicked into full gear. Hilariously, Luke actually started giving Yoda a hard time—apparently all the acrobatics in the world could not compare with the unpredictable nature of frantic lightsaber flailing. They exchanged a few blows, which mainly consisted of Luke jabbing and slashing at wherever he thought Yoda was. Being practically drunk due to sleep deprivation apparently helped him move in ways Yoda could not expect, and Yoda obviously did not actually want to hurt Luke, so their odd spar was somewhat believable.

Though…who knew, it was actually very difficult to fight Yoda even when the Grand Master was not trying. He was mostly just blocking Luke's wild maneuvers, but the little Jedi was so…little. Sometimes Luke thought he might run over Yoda, and other times he thought Yoda could easily have tripped him. After a while, Luke had a difficult time focusing—the bright lights of the lightsabers hurt his sleep-deprived eyes, and he was already drained from Force suggesting Palpatine and staying awake far longer than he should have.

_How long has it been? Shouldn't the younglings be out by now? When is Dad going to notify me? _He could tell that it was taking some effort for Yoda to counter his strikes without hurting him. Maybe he should lay off on the wild attacks and go for tamer moves—

"Luke!"

The yell was so startling that both "duelists" forgot what they were doing, and Luke accidentally broke Yoda's lightsaber.

_Really, Dad? Like, you can't even listen to someone who's from the future and krething _knows _what's about to happen? _Well not really, not with the way everything has changed and with Leia somehow out of the picture, but still! _What was his father thinking?_

"Hm," Yoda grunted, drawing Luke's attention back to the troubling matter of…_Sith, did I really just do that?__ That is so cool and…was not supposed to happen._

"Now what?" Luke asked Yoda.

The clones, apparently concluding that Luke had won the duel, immediately opened fire.

Luke spun around. _This is worse than a holomovie! _

His father instantly ignited his lightsaber, as did everyone else, and soon the room was a blur of lights, blasts, and hums, which all melded together as if Luke had given himself hallucinogens. Feeling panicked, because deflecting blaster bolts with his lightsaber was not really his forte, and deflecting blaster bolts with just his mind was difficult when he was already worn out, Luke managed to wade through the chaos to his father's side. Obi-Wan was with him, and the two were working together like the partners they were.

Safely obscured in the whole mess, Luke decided to use Force wave to send some of the clones flying backwards, and then he used the Force to pull the blasters out of another group of clones. He missed one of them and got the helmet instead, and the clone promptly got shot in the face by his comrade across the room. A bunch of other clones went flying past the ceiling, and it was not due to Luke. _Huh? Who is doing that?_

Oh. Yoda. Who was using a lot of Force techniques because his lightsaber was broken.

"Here, Yoda!" Luke called out, since maintaining the charade in this chaos was moot anyway—everyone was just too confused, and Yoda could probably put the weapon to better use than he could, "Catch!"

Yoda heard, and Luke threw. The Grand Master turned on the lightsaber and began swinging, and everyone stopped for a millisecond to watch. Red was not a good light to shine on someone with green skin, and seeing Yoda wield a Sith weapon was just…

At some point, when Luke was not feeling nauseous from sleep deprivation and they were not getting pummeled by a rain of blaster bolts, he was going to sit down and have a good laugh over getting Yoda to wield a red lightsaber. How many times had he and Leia chuckled over that mental image in their youth? It was a running joke between them that they were going to annoy the green troll with their teenage antics into turning to the dark side.

The world went still as everyone got over their incredulity at the absurd scene, and then chaos resumed. Luke sent several clones spinning in the air, before he felt a sudden tug in his mind that warned of impending Force exhaustion.

Right. Now would be the time to bail out of here. He turned—

If the Force had given warning, Luke did not sense it, and at this point, knowing what he did about the Force, he was pretty sure it had remained silent. Spinning around, he lost his balance, and his coordination gave out at precisely the same moment so that he was unable to dodge the blaster bolt that came right for his chest.

Red hot pain spread like lightning through his body, and in the distance he heard his father yell, _"Luke!"_

_I'm Darth Bob, idiot,_ Luke thought incoherently while a part of his brain was screaming at the damage. He saw the bright neon lights of the lightsabers as the Jedi did cartwheels around him. When did he end up on the floor? He never felt the impact.

"Sith!" His father cursed, and he was bending over Luke and ignoring the battle in the hall. "Luke? Son? Stay with me. Oh _Force._"

"Ow," Luke hissed as his body broke into tremors. Somehow, that exclamation seemed seriously insufficient in expressing just how agonizing the wound was. "Think…I better…get out of here…"

"Hold on, son," His father begged, his face looking more terrified than Luke could ever imagine. "Oh _Force_, this is all my fault—Luke, son, everything's going to be alright. Just hold on. I've got you."

_Hold on?_ What was he supposed to hold on to—

_"Oh yes," _Darth Maul clicked his glass of wine with Count Dooku's, _"He's got lots of them."_

_"Lots of them," _Count Dooku agreed, _"Oh well."_

A female Sith muttered from the side, _"I hate fish. I hate all aquatic planets because they all have Force-cursed _fish._ It is despicable."_

Count Dooku took his head off his shoulders to wipe at his neck stump. _"Biscuit crumbs always get in between there," _His head said as his body set it down on the table, _"You'd think they would just fall down, but they just lodge in there and it itches."_

_"Think he will catch the fish?" _Darth Maul asked.

_"What fish?"_ The female Sith asked snootily.

_"If he finishes what he needs to, he'll catch the fish," _Said Count Dooku, putting his head back on his shoulders, _"All Force-sensitive beings in the living galaxy start out as fish. Then they change from fish to whatever they really are. But you need to catch the fish to get there, and he's only got one fish to go with."_

_"He's done what he has to in order to get the fish swimming," _Said the zabrak. _"Palpatine will be rising dictator as the Jedi escape, and the Chosen One will not turn. Has the fish started moving yet?"_

An Emperor Kingfish suddenly swam into the scene.

_"Oh look," _Said Count Dooku, _"Supper."_

Qui-Gon was suddenly standing next to Luke.

_"Destiny surrounds the Skywalker bloodline," _He said, _"Do you remember how to be One with the Force?"_

_"Oh Sith," _Luke cursed, _"But if I catch it, Dooku and Maul will lose their supper."_

_"They have not eaten in a long time."  
_

Luke woke, feeling groggy. Someone was holding his hand. He blinked blearily up at his father.

"Hey," His father murmured.

Luke tried to greet him back, but he felt too weak and his throat was too dry.

_Fish thing still doesn't make sense. Nope. None of this makes any sense. But that's the Force for you._

He drank from the cup his father brought to his lips.

"You took quite a hit," His father looked like he had been crying, "I was worried you would never wake up."

"What happened?" Luke asked.

"A lot of Jedi died," Said his father, "But you helped save a lot of us too. When Order 66 was executed…most of the knights and masters out there managed to escape. And we got all of the younglings out; they're all in hiding right now, but we have allies who are discretely transporting them away. You're currently on Naboo. Your mother's in the bathroom right now; she'll be back soon."

"And Palpatine?" The boy whispered.

"We sent some of the masters to kill him, but he proved too strong, and had the support of the Senate. They had to retreat."

"Even Yoda?"

"Even Yoda. Though you broke his lightsaber," His father smiled tearfully, "So it's partially your fault."

Luke's body hurt. A lot. "Was an accident. And I gave him mine."

"I know." His father leaned his forehead into Luke's. "Sith weapons are crassly made, or so he says. Are you in pain?"

Yes, but right now Luke was actually seeing the Emperor Kingfish floating above him. It was morphing, actually, into the shape of what looked like an embryo.

_How weird._

"I think I'm dying," Luke whispered.

"No." His father squeezed his hand, gritting his teeth. "You're not dying."

"No," Luke rephrased, "I think…I'm about to be born…so I have…to leave."

His father's face crumpled, and Luke had never seen him look so utterly shattered. "No," He whispered, "You can't leave. We need you. All your stunts. The Jedi Order—it's disbanded, and Palpatine's taken over, everything has gone so wrong…you're our only hope."

"No," Luke winced, and all of the sudden, he _knew _what he had to do. He knew what trick Qui-Gon had showed him before. "I have to steal Dooku's dinner."

The door opened, and his mother walked in, her belly large with her babies.

"Luke!" She called softly, hurrying to his side. "How are you feeling, baby?"

_Mm._ It was nice to be called baby. Nice to be the son for a change. Force knew he hated being Palpatine's father. And who could blame him? No one would want a son like _him._

"Qui-Gon wants Obi-Wan to know that he can't be prouder of him," Luke said to her, "You have to tell him that." Come to think of it, where was Obi-Wan?

His mother glanced at his father, puzzled.

"Luke, you're going to be alright," His father pleaded, "Just don't let go."

Luke touched his mother's stomach and felt his younger self twist at the contact. "I'm not going anywhere," He said softly.

It has been fun. Pulling down Palpatine's pants, making his father go nuts thinking Luke had a crush on his wife, stealing people's clothes, stowing away on a ship, breaking into his mother's apartment, getting to know the Jedi of the Order one-on-one, stealing a ship, kidnapping a padawan and forcing him to endure a jarring flight, a volcanic eruption, a Sith's lair, and then making Palpatine think Luke was his father and making Yoda wield a red lightsaber. Also, being the first ever Darth Bob, even if he was not really a Sith. Luke hoped that if his younger self did not remember all these things, his parents would still recount all of them.

Or if not all of them, some, and then the other Jedi could fill in the rest.

"I'd like this hole in my chest to go away," He said to his father, smoothing a hand over the bacta patch. "Anyway, you better watch out, because I'm going to make sure I give you a lot of trouble this time around. You've seen nothing yet!"

And then he melted into the Force, and everything was alive and singing, a divine music of the stars swirling all around him, and he was warm, safe, comfortable and relaxed. In the real world, his body faded away, leaving only the hospital garb on the bed.

Padme suddenly groaned as the first of the labor pangs hit, and water promptly splashed onto the floor below her.

"He's started with that trouble!" She exclaimed, letting out a low scream, and then another as she felt another contraction. "Force, Anakin! I hate you for doing this to me!"


	30. Epilogue

AN: Sorry guys, I know it's been a long hiatus, and frankly I don't think anything I write could match the buildup of expectations over that period. Honestly I sort of didn't know how to go about ending this properly, but med school orientation is coming up in a week and I gotta finish this before then if only to live with myself. Hope this is not too disappointing! And thanks again for all of your lovely lovely feedback. I didn't expect this story to be as popular as it has been! I heart you all. Now, onward!

Turns of Fate

Epilogue

_"Red team, this is Gold Leader, I have the target in my sights, Over."_

_"Gold Leader, this is Red Leader. My team will cover you, go for the gold. Over."_

_"Luke, did you put a dung bomb in my cockpit again?"_

_"What?"  
_

"Skywalkers," Obi-Wan hissed, "Now is _not _the time._ Please _focus."

Anakin's ship did an odd twirl out of the way of the imperial fighters. Fortunately he was flying by himself, or else there would have been more swearing from the comm. Through the lingering master-padawan bond, Obi-Wan sensed him trying not to react to Han's accusation.

_"Obi-Wan!"_ Luke's voice sounded whiny all of the sudden, _"What the Sith are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay put at the base!"_

Right, like that was going to happen. "Since when did I take orders from you, Luke Skywalker?"

_"I happen to be leading this mission! And Force—"_ Luke uttered a stream of Huttese curses, _"But you weren't supposed to be here! Go back!"_

"That is not happening, Luke."

_"Ugh!" _Luke sounded so put off by this that Obi-Wan almost felt hurt.

_"Kreth, Luke!"_ Han's voice cracked in the static, and Obi-Wan saw his ship flying above Anakin's, _"Force by all that's holy, it stinks in here! I am so gonna get you, kid!" _Chewbacca uttered something in the background that sounded like agreement._  
_

_"I don't think it was Luke, Han," _Leia said solemnly.

Luke and Anakin were both conspicuously silent.

Han cursed. _"Aw _come on_!"_

"Focus, please!" Obi-Wan dove in and shot at a few fighters while narrowly avoiding one that nearly blindsided him. He was going to have to have a few words with Anakin…_again_.

_"Leia! Why is your father constantly trying to kill me?" _There was an echo of the same question from Chewie._  
_

Did Han really need an answer to that?

"Han Solo, if you don't focus he will succeed."

_"Blegh! Ugh! Krething hells _blargghhhhhhhhh_!" _He actually sounded like he was close to vomiting.

_"Can you turn off the comm for this?" _Luke exclaimed, _"I'm trying to aim for that Force-forsaken target and I can't do it while you're retching into the mic."_

Obi-Wan briefly lost track of the conversation when debris smashed into his fighter. It did not do much damage but it did make a sound that resonated in the ship.

_"…and I can't even let the air out because it's a vacuum outside! Not cool, man! Not cool!"_

_"Guys, shut up, I'm trying to destroy the Death Star before it blasts another planet or something! Cut it out!"_

_"Solo, if you can't handle it turn the ship back to the base," _Said Ferus Olin, _"And Skywalker, quit putting dung bombs in people's fighters."_

_"It's a hit!" _Luke yelled, just as a slow eruption glowed from the narrow channel in the sphere, _"Everyone get the hell out of here! Out out out out out! Backlash incoming!"_

_"Son of a bantha's whore!" _Han was still yelling, _"It stinks like a nerf's a—"_

Obi-Wan shot an imperial fighter right before it could shoot Han's ship.

Luke yelled again into the mic, _"Han, cut that out! The station's about to blow!"_

The Jedi and rebel ships locked their thrusters to the max as the Death Star shattered in a brilliant display of light and plasma, bright as any sun and nearly just as hot. The warning systems blared loudly in Obi-Wan's ship as the heat threatened to melt the thrusters. Once the initial wave was past, the Jedi Master's ship was still blaring deafeningly and he quickly punched in the controls to turn them off.

_"Obi-Wan!" _Anakin called, _"Are you alright?"_

"Head back to the base," Obi-Wan instructed, "I need a minute to silence these things before they blow my eardrums out."

_"Need me to lock on?"_

"I don't need a transfer, Anakin, the ship's functional enough for the return trip. I'll see you there. Go."

Luke was yelling more commands to the teams.

_"Take out the fighters in your way but we got the main thing down—everyone start heading back! Go go go go go!"_ Meanwhile, Leia's comm was transmitting cheers from the rebels

"You are not being a good role model," Obi-Wan said to Anakin later, when they were back at the base. Leia and Padme watched Anakin disapprovingly while Luke toweled off his hair. Around them, the other Jedi were also showering or otherwise getting comfortable after a rather stressful mission, and there was a steady thrum of transmissions as people monitored the reactions from the Empire.

"I think he's a great role model," Said Luke, "I now know exactly what to do if a guy tries to hit on my daughter. Not that I will have one, but I can always steal Leia's."

Leia scowled. The modern twins, or at least they were called that by Anakin, seemed to share the same ridiculously powerful connection to the Force that they did in the past. Neither of them actually remembered their alternate lives, but they both saw as much as they would need or possibly want in order to understand the order of events. From Anakin's account, their personalities were largely the same, though Luke was much more subdued this time around. Despite the various warnings, he did not actually cause too much trouble. Most of the time, anyway. The boy was a Skywalker, after all.

"Now we just have to wait until the Empire strikes back," said Leia, folding her arms and pointedly ignoring Luke's cheeky grin, "Eighteen years of waiting around for the rebellion to grow in support and resources under Palpatine's nose, he no doubt knows that there are plenty of Jedi still at large and we haven't actually disbanded as you all made it look. The galactic public will also realize that we were hiding all this time instead of helping them overthrow the tyranny, so there will be a lot of resentment there. The Jedi purges will begin all over again. I suggest we split after this, instead of gathering all the Jedi together at once. We're fighting enemies on multiple fronts and even those we are trying to save will work against us. Let's not all collect on Hoth, since that will go sort of badly."

"Well it's not quite that dire," Anakin pointed out, "The galactic public was actually quite happy with Palpatine up till they destroyed Alderaan. They didn't want the Jedi back. Now they will, and here we are."

Luke sighed. The twins had tried to prevent that calamity, but even with all the Jedi on their side, they had not been able to determine when the Death Star intended to show up and blast Alderaan.

"Poor Bail," Padme said softly, "Breha. An entire planet, gone. They were a good people."

"He's going to build another one," Luke said to Leia, "One even bigger and more retarded than the last. I'm thinking ewoks, for some reason. Ewoks. Which planet had ewoks again?"

"Endor," Said Leia, "And it's a moon. Moon, Luke."

They were starting to talk in that language no one else could understand. Obi-Wan folded his arms and waited with his former padawan and his wife.

"Well the first time around…"

"There was Lando, who's here with us this time instead of on Bespin."

"Han and Jabba the Hutt,"

"Dagobah,"

"Then ouchies,"

"No that was before Jabba."

Anakin and Padme glanced at each other. "I remember Jabba," Anakin muttered.

"The problem is the first time around everything relied on Vader," Luke suddenly announced. "Even his _death _was linked to Vader, who is very obviously absent in this scenario."

"He has another apprentice."

"Right, like we can appeal to _her _sense of fatherhood."

"Well, we _could…_"

Luke scowled.

Leia gave him a meaningful look.

"Nuh-uh. Not happening. Maybe if I looked as handsome as Dad did when he was my age." Anakin cocked an eyebrow at this. "Besides, Vader died in the effort. If we're to go with that, she'd die too."

"Hm!"

"I don't understand this," Said Obi-Wan, "I'm going to debrief with Master Yoda."

Hours later, Luke and Leia were meeting with everyone while Han stared sourly at Anakin, who was pointedly ignoring him. Padme, meanwhile, was rather fond of Han and was pointedly ignoring her husband. Obi-Wan stood next to Bant Eerin and Siri Tachi while everyone else listened to the twins articulate the plans by finishing each other's sentences.

"So we're going to lay low for a while, since the Empire will be berserk, and—"

"—In the meantime we will split into five groups, since five is a good number,"

"The first will be on Hoth, because Luke _insists _that someone has to be on Hoth—"

"—We'll be drawing up a list of people who are assigned to the Hoth system. Wear warm clothes, people. The second—"

"—Will actually be at the imperial capital, since it's safest in the lion's den, and—"

"—This group will be in charge of keeping up with the news and relating it to the other systems, since no one else will have access to galactic holomedia—"

"—We'll also be heading _back _to Dantooine and reset up a rebel base there, this is mainly for the Jedi younglings who are being trained. The Empire is unlikely to believe we'd go back there if we left already but we should be cautious. Most of the Jedi will be assigned there, as well as the refugees. There isn't likely to be another Death Star for at least a decade or so, given the first—"

"—And Leia wants one group to go to Bespin's Cloud City, because that is the area the Empire is likely to look for bounty hunters and will likely set up a temporary base there,"

"And we need to go to Endor, set up shop there and wait for the Emperor to begin building his next Death Star, that way the two of us can face him and get rid of him for good."

Everyone was so use to this that no one batted an eyelash at the odd discourse, and they launched straight to the details. There were questions and answers, but ultimately everyone agreed to this plan and began preparations.

"Can you imagine Palpatine's face when he sees mine?" Luke pointed at his chin, "The guy still thinks I'm his father."

"Next time you two use Force suggestion," Obi-Wan drawled, "You can try telling him to kill himself. It would save us a lot of trouble."

"That's no fun. I could be more ambitious," Said Luke, tilting his eyes upward in thought, "I can convince Palpatine to dress in a bikini and devote the rest of his life to dancing strip dance."

His father blanched. "Please don't. Ugh! Oh _Force _why did you plant that image in my head! _Arghhhhhh!_"

"Oh. Ew. Ughhhhhhhhh why did I do that to myself! Oh son of a bantha someone sterilize my brain!"

Padme was busy cleaning up after her husband when it came to Han.

"Anakin can be a bit impossible," She said to the former smuggler, who was still very upset about the stunt. Rightly so, since he was actually nearly killed. "He can be really immature sometimes—"

"No kidding!"

"Don't mind him," She went on, "He's just overprotective of Leia."

"He could have gotten me killed! Seriously, what is he, five years old? No offense, ma'am."

"None taken," Padme muttered dryly, "I often wonder that myself."

Her glare at her husband was so full of exasperation, Obi-Wan could not help but chuckle. Force knew how close they had been to losing this, these petty pranks and overprotectiveness and the quirks of dynamics that made up a family. For all her annoyance, they were all happy that Anakin was Anakin and not Vader, that the twins were able to grow up with their birth parents and experience the agony of being nagged about boyfriends and girlfriends and general friends all at once.

It was not a perfect life by any means—the Empire was strong and though it was stifling, people were still brainwashed into hating the Jedi Order, and their lives had consisted of constantly being on the run, hiding who they were, and living in fear of being found out. In a way, time-travel Luke had been right—the galaxy needed this dark time of oppression, because they were sick of the Republic and of all the turmoils that had built up when it was in power. Life oscillated between light and dark, and darkness was coming no matter what. People did not want the Jedi Order, because they all believed that as bad as things were now, the Jedi had been even worse. Nearly everyone was an enemy, and training in the Force was usually a perilous endeavor. Still, they were alive, they had hope, and most of all, they had a plan that was actually not too insane.

Luke thumped Obi-Wan on the back. "Well, old man? Need you and Yoda to get all the younglings together. You're off the field."

"Really?" Obi-Wan scowled, while Yoda watched from his hoverchair, "You're taking _me _off duty?"

"Hey, you hate flying anyway. It's mostly going to be flying."

"You're sending me away," Obi-Wan was not letting him get away with that so easily.

"You like younglings!" Luke's smile was filled with trepidation, "Right? And there's an ancient enclave on Dantooine and…and…younglings!"

"I had to train you two!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, "I'm still recovering!"

"Well you had Dad to share the duties…and plus I'm sending you with Yoda."

"Oh Force—what about Mace?"

"Oh he's coming too, don't you worry about that. But you old people should take a break and let us young people handle these things."

"Audacious, he is," Yoda commented wryly.

"Wait, you're actually complaining too?"

The Grand Master gave Luke a level stare. "Show more respect to your master, you should."

"Yes Master Yoda. Master Old Man," Luke said with a straight face, "You're going to Dantooine to keep the younglings together I _swear _nothing significant will happen between now and the eventual fight on Endor with ewoks and by that time we'll get you to blindside the imperials yes?"

"He's trying to keep you alive, Master," Anakin walked by, "Listen to him."

"Why?" Obi-Wan asked.

"You weren't even supposed to be involved with the Death Star," Luke went on, looking frustrated. "Who told you to go on? Leia, you were supposed to keep an eye on him!"

"I was busy with Mother!"

"Why exactly was I supposed to just sit back when three of my padawans are out risking their lives to destroy a battle station the size of a moon that also happened to be able to destroy entire planets, hm?"

Luke scratched his head. "Fine, you're really going to make me say it? Fine. You're supposed to be dead, alright? Or at least your life ended here. Happy?"

Obi-Wan stared incredulously at him. "Mace was supposed to be dead eighteen years ago, but you are still fine with him being on missions."

"Right, well, I don't really care about Mace…"

Obi-Wan managed not to roll his eyes. "If I recall correctly, I killed myself last time, and since I have no intention of doing so this time since Anakin is not Vader, most of the Order still lives, and I'm not depressed, I think I'll be fine."

Luke wrinkled his nose.

"A good Jedi, Master Kenobi is," Yoda pointed out to the young lad, "_The _master of Soresu, some say, and most agree. Easy to kill, he is not."

"Besides, if it is my time—" But Luke was not really in the mood to listen to that, "And even though you and your sister are strong in the Force, you do not know everything." They had enough disasters in the past to prove it. Thankfully most of them were not lethal.

"Really," Leia was muttering to her father several meters away, "A dung bomb? Kind of juvenile, don't you think? You couldn't settle your differences like adults?"

"I don't want to bother," Anakin said stubbornly. "That _nerfherding smuggler _doesn't deserve it."

"I'm not going to Dantooine," Obi-Wan turned back to tell Luke seriously.

"You're forty years old!" Leia went on to scold her father, once again breaking into their conversation. "You're not four! What forty-year-old human resorts to such things? Stop abusing my boyfriend! I'll never get married if you keep doing things like this!"

"Does she realize that's exactly his intention?" Obi-Wan asked Luke.

"Leia can be slow on the uptake sometimes."

"Like you?"

"Har har, very _funny_," Luke was scowling impressively as he walked away from Obi-Wan. "Fine. Fine fine fine. Try to look after someone, they don't even appreciate it…"

"Change my name from the list, Luke!" Obi-Wan called to the departing youth, "I've been with two versions of you and your father. I can come up with far more impressive comebacks than dung bombs in a fighter, I'll promise you that! Impudent brat…"

Hours later, the imperial troops that were sent out to search for the rebels were getting a bit close, so the base was a swarm of activity as everyone prepared to leave. Anakin and Luke were actually dispatched to separate areas, with Luke heading to Bespin with Han who knew the area, and Anakin heading to Endor with Obi-Wan. Padme was to head to Dantooine to manage the refugees, while Leia prepared to go to Coruscant. Since none of them actually knew when the Emperor intended to begin construction of his second Death Star, the group was loosely gathered in the middle of the hangar, though Han was doing his best to get close to Leia without catching her father's eye. Luke, for his sister's sake, was distracting the elder Skywalker so he would not notice what his daughter was doing. Thankfully, this was easy, because despite everything Anakin was a good father and being away from his children and wife made him uneasy.

"And if he throws the lightning at you—"

"Yes I know, Dad, use the lightsaber, I happen to have worked with the guy before, remember? He even treated me to dinner."

"Well, you can't blame me for worrying, can you?"

Obi-Wan smirked at this. Since time-travel Luke's "death", Anakin was pretty protective of Luke as well, something that irritated the youngster most of the time. Padme had been fond of Luke also, though with her maternal instinct and general good sense, she was able to quickly realize that stifling her son was not the way to raise him. Over the years, the couple had gotten into many arguments and quarrels about Anakin's neurotic tendencies and Padme's observation that Luke should be allowed to grow free every once in a while. The Jedi Order had observed all of this with the wry amusement they all shared in response to anything the Skywalkers ever did.

Luke punched his father lightly in the chest. "For the last time, Dad, I can take care of myself! I'm fine. We'll be alright. Besides, we're all going to do this together. Team Skywalker. When the time comes, Palpatine can't face all three of us at once. He relies too much on his lightning."

"Don't get too cocky," Anakin warned, but ruffled Luke's head.

"Aw Dad! Stop doing that! It's bad enough that I'm so short, you make me feel even shorter when you do that!…And you messed up my hair!"

There was a sudden flicker in the Force, slight and yet obvious enough that it made all of the Jedi pause.

"Why do I get a bad feeling about this?" Anakin asked as he and his son stopped on each side of Obi-Wan.

"…" Luke shook his head. He apparently could not tell what was going on. Obi-Wan stretched out his senses but perceived nothing but a blur.

The three of them tried to continue with their activities, but it was not long before a padawan ran to the hangar.

"Master Kenobi! Master Skywalker! Knight Skywalker!" Behind her, Terin Oller was also running up to them.

"You might want to see this," He said, pulling his padawan back. "Come on."

The three of them glanced at each other as Knight Oller went to fetch Leia and Yoda.

"I just destroyed the Death Star after not sleeping for thirty-six hours and already something happens? I didn't even get a medal yet!" Luke moped. Anakin reached behind Obi-Wan to smack his son on the back of the head.

Right outside a hangar, a group of Jedi were waiting, and Obi-Wan suddenly had a strong sense of deja vu. It was years ago, back on Coruscant, when a similar ripple in the Force had jolted through the galaxy and all the Jedi had collected to the main lobby where—

"Oh wow," Said the girl that looked suspiciously like Leia, dressed in casual brown robes with her brown hair loose about her face. She smirked as she eyed Luke up and down and suddenly looked like Han Solo. "You're even shorter than I remember!"

Luke stared at her for a full five seconds. "Sith!" He yelled in absolute horror, "No! No! _No! _This is _not _happening! Leia! What did you _do_?"

Leia's eyes were large in their sockets, Padme's face was expressionless, while Yoda looked like he had just been electrocuted. Knight Oller patted Luke on the shoulder with some sympathy, while Obi-Wan and Anakin were practically rubbing their hands together in glee.

"Interesting," Obi-Wan remarked in delight, "So this appears to be an inherent gift! Well Luke, I guess it's your turn to experience what it's like! You're supervising this one."

"And so the trickster gets his comeuppance!" Anakin exclaimed to his son.

"Oh!" Luke whirled on his father, "Very vindictive! Need I remind you that she is a product of that _'nerfherding _smuggler' as well?"

Anakin paused.

"****," He said.

_El fin._


End file.
